Erika The Legacy of Lily and James
by Starlight Eve
Summary: Sequel to Lily's Lake. Lily and James' daughter, Erika, fights through the darkness that is engulfing the world, to stay alive and be accepted as who she is. R&R!
1. Prolouge

Erika  
  
The Legacy of Lily and James  
  
Darkness is rising. Evil rules the night and day, and fear lives in the hearts of all. It was this world that Lily and James Potter, betrayed by the friend they trusted with their lives, saved their son, the one-year- old Harry Potter, from Voldemort. It was also this world that Lily and James Potter, much to everyone's ignorance, saved their baby daughter. A secret charm performed, and Lily and James Potter were transported into the future for a few moments, enough time to leave their three-day-old daughter on the steps of an orphanage. Then, days later, on Halloween, dark settled over the Potter house. Lily and James Potter were killed, their son alive, protected by his mother's sacrifice, and the Dark Lord, gone.  
  
The magic world settled into a careful peace, careful not to stir any old fears, or old horrors. But not for long. Only 13 years after the fall of the Dark Lord, he rose again. The traitor of Lily and James Potter at his side. The remains of a close group of friends are called together again to fight. The sad woman who had lived in solitude since her best friend's death. The werewolf who is more than he seems. The escaped convict, sent to prision for the supposed death of the Traitor.  
  
It was in this world that the discovery was made. The discovery that would change all. That a young girl, hidden away in a London orphanage, was not what she seemed.  
  
Erika Rose Potter rose again.  
  
The magical world is falling apart as Erika fights her way through life, under suspicion and fear. Her best friend holds a secret of her descendence. Voldemort's heir threatens to kill them all, and a newly found godmother struggles to overcome the past.  
  
The Dark Lord must be overcome.  
  
This is the story of Erika Rose Potter, the daughter of Lily and James Potter, the sister of Harry Potter, the person no one thought to exist, the child said to be dead.  
  
This is a story of past and present, of sacrifice, of love, of sadness, of life, of death, of magic, and, most of all, a story of the struggle of good versus evil, light versus dark, and right versus wrong. Not everyone may come out alive . . .  
  
I own nothing. It all belongs to the Great Harry Potter people. Now, please continue with the story. 


	2. Discovery

Author's Note- Ok, some of my long time readers may not like this, a little too far fetched, you might think. But this has been in my head LONG before Lily's Lake, and this is the sequel to it. It's about a character you met in Lily's Lake. You didn't really meet her, but you read of her. Her name is Erika. Erika Rose Potter.  
  
Disclaimer- since these are necessary, I suppose I should put one in here. Anyways, I own nothing at all, nada, rien, whatever language you speak, NOTHING!!!  
  
Erika  
  
"Erika! Wake up, Erika!" my friend and roommate Janet Johnson, said, shaking me awake. "I'm up, I'm up," I whispered. I got out of bed, and quickly made it. The room was noisy, from the nine other girls I shared it with. That's what I get for growing up in an orphanage in London. Yes, that's where I grew up. You see, when I was just a baby I was found lying on the steps wrapped up in a blanket with a note. They let me keep the note, but I have it memorized anyway. I just like holding it and thinking "my parents were holding this". Of course, eleven years later, my fingerprints have probably covered their's. I know their name, Potter, and I know the name they gave me, Erika Rose Potter. That's basically all I know about myself. I went down to breakfast with the rest of my roommates. Ms. Kensington was waiting for our room to come down. "Erika, I have something for you, a letter," Ms. Kensington said. My roommates' eyes went up. Basically no one here got a letter. This was my first letter. I followed Ms. Kensington out of the mess hall and into her office. "Here's your letter," Ms. Kensington said. I took the letter and looked at it. Miss E. Potter It was for me. The adress was written in green ink, and the paper was heavy parchment. I opened the letter and read it over. I keeled over.  
  
* * * 4 Privet Drive As told by Harry Potter  
  
"Keep that thing quiet! I've gotten three calls from neighbors allready!" Uncle Vernon screeched. He sounded remarkably like Hedwig, the owl that was hooting loudly at night. "Well I can't help it! You're the one that's locking her up! She needs to be out!" I countered. "I'M NOT ABOUT TO LET AN OWL FLY THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND GET ATTENTION, BOY!" Uncle Vernon yelled. "There are tons of owls out at night. No one will notice," I answered. Seventeen years with the Dursleys had taught me what to expect. At least I'd be going to Hogwarts afterwards. But that wasn't for another month. Another month seemed like eternity with the Dursleys. "Dudley will be having Lisa over for dinner tonite, and I don't want any silly stuff, got it?" Uncle Vernon asked. "Sure, whatever. I'll stay up in my room," I answered. Lisa was Dudley's girlfriend. She was coming to meet the family, and I wasn't included in the family. Lisa didn't sound like anyone I would want to meet, so I was glad to stay upstairs.  
  
* * * London Orphanage As told by Erika R. Potter  
  
I woke up a few minutes later. Ms. Kensington was standing over me. "Erika, are you allright?" she asked. "Yeah, I'm fine. I think," I answered, sitting up. I saw the letter nearby. I picked it up and read it through again. This time I didn't faint. The letter clearly said that I was a witch, and I was going to go to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It even told me where I could buy my things, right here in London. "There's more in the envelope, Erika," Ms. Kensington said. I took out two more sheets of paper. One was a list of school supplies, the other was a letter. I read it over. It couldn't be possible, could it? The letter went on to explain how I ended up at the orphanage, and I was put here to "escape a killer, undefeated at the time, in search of your family". But the last few lines were the strangest ones. I know you are confused by this, Erika Potter, but the point is that it is real. And there is someone else who deserves to know this. His name is Harry Potter, and his adress is below. A copy of this letter is being sent to him, but I suggest you see him in person. Good luck. AJ First off, who was "AJ"? Second, was I supposed to believe this? And third, what if it's true? "Ms. Kensington, do you know anything about a school called Hogwarts?" I asked. "As a matter of fact, I do, Erika. My daughter used to be a pupil there, when I saw all the strange things happening around you, like when you made Diana's things disappear, and reappear in the fountain, I had a feeling you were different, too," Ms. Kensington said. I laughed at the rememberance. Diana had been really mad! But at everyone, because she had been standing in our room, yelling at me, and her things just disappeared, and then we heard some laughing and screaming outside, and we looked out the windows to see her things in the fountain, floating around. "I did that?" I asked. "Yes, Erika. Strange, isn't it?" Ms. Kensington asked. "Yeah, it is," I answered. "Um. do you know anything about a guy named Harry Potter?" "I remember my daughter mentioning him, but then again, I don't know anything about him," Ms. Kensington replied. "Okay," I said. "I'd better get to breakfast." "Allright," Ms. Kensington agreed.  
  
That night I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. If Ms. Kensington was right in everything she'd said this morning, I had to find this person, this "Harry Potter". I sat up and went over to my trunk. There was basically nothing in it. But I had money and clothes. I took out a shoulder bag, and put some clothes in it, along with the note, the note left by my parents. And if the letter told the truth, their names were "Lily and James Potter". I put all my money in my pocket, and quietly shut the trunk. I took a piece of paper and a pencil, and wrote "I've gone to find Harry Potter and find out who I truly am. Don't expect me back. Yours, Erika R. Potter". I left that on my pillow, made my bed, and snuck downstairs. There was no one in the hallway. I went into the cubby and took my coat away from its hanger, and put it on. Then, quietly I slipped out the side door, and shut it quietly behind me. Making sure no one was watching, I ran towards the street and started running to the bus station.  
  
* * * Leaky Cauldron As told by Megan Alhide Riddle  
  
I tossed and turned on the bed in my room. Nightmares kept grabbing me in my sleep. "Megan! Megan!" "Sister! Sister, come here!" Ruth yelled. The little girl in my dream moved towards the bigger one, Ruth. Ruth reached down, and touched the little one's cheek. "Do you want me to tell Grandfather that you found a rabbit and have kept it?" Ruth asked. "Please, Ruth, don't tell!" the little one cried. "I won't, so long as you kill it," Ruth answered. "Ruth, please," the little one begged. "You won't kill it, little sister?" Ruth asked, pretending to be kind. "It's a shame, you'd be good at it. I guess I'll have to do it then," Ruth added. "Ruth! Please, no!" the little girl cried. I rolled in my sleep again. "Please, don't let this happen," I pleaded with myself. "Don't make me remember." "You could have been my pet, little sister. But you had to be weak." "Please, leave me alone," I thought. "Megan, why do you throw all this away? It's everything anyone could want. Why don't you want to be like me? I could make you my pet, I could favor you above everyone else. Imagine the power, little sister! Imagine it!" "Ruth, please leave me alone," I whispered in my sleep.  
  
* * * Little Whinging, Surrey As told by Erika R. Potter  
  
I was tired. The bus ride over hadn't been exactly pleasant. I was hungry, since I had used most of my money to try and get a bus to this town. I didn't have a lot of money to buy food with, so I just kept walking past the resturants (it was morning now), full of people eating breakfast. The town of Little Whinging was actually pretty small compared to London. I held the letter in my hands, looking for Privet drive. "Four Privet drive," I whispered to myself, and looked at the street signs. I sighed, and spotted a person standing by the side of the road. Again I sighed, and ran over. "Excuse me, sir?" I asked, standing beside the man. He looked down, and answered, "Yes, little girl?" "Do you know where Privet Drive is?" I asked, "I'm looking for a house on Privet drive." "Yes, I do. What's the house number?" the man asked. "The adress is. 4 Privet Drive. I'm looking for a 'Harry Potter'," I answered, looking down to the paper, although I had memorized it from reading it over and over again on the bus. "Harry Potter, eh?" the man asked, and grinned strangely. "Yes, sir. Can you point out where that is?" I asked, slowly, a bit frightened of the man. "Oh, yes, of course," he said, and gave me directions. "Good luck finding Harry Potter, little girl." "Thank you," I answered, and turned to walk away. When I turned around for one last look the man was gone. I blinked, confused, but turned and started walking down the street.  
  
* * * Same time As told by Harry Potter  
  
Uncle Vernon was gone, thank goodness, to work. Aunt Petunia was grocery shopping, and Dudley was somewhere with Lisa and his friends. I was all alone in the house, doing my homework. Homework was actually enjoyable, and since I had such little time to do it, I had to. I heard something outside, and Hedwig started hooting. I rolled my eyes, figuring it was the neighbor or something. But it wasn't.  
  
* * * Same time As told by Erika Potter  
  
I walked towards the corner of Privet drive, and looked down the neat little row of houses, and picked out number four, a house just like all others. I took a deep breath, and started walking. I hoped this Harry Potter person could possibly explain some things to me. When I reached number four, I looked up at the house, ordinary in every way. I went to walk to the front door, and, being the clumbsy fool I am, tripped over something, and fell on my face. "Ouch!" I cried, and got up. Slowly, being careful, I walked up to the front door, and carefully rang the doorbell. I heard footsteps, and the hooting of an owl. Confused, I waited for a second before the door opened. A boy, in his late teens, opened the door, and looked down on me. "Does Harry Potter live here?" I asked, trying to find my voice. "Yeah, that's me," the boy answered. "Um, my name's Erika, and I got this letter in the mail the other day. it said something about a school named Hogwarts, and it also sent me this," I said, and held out the letter from "AJ". Harry Potter took it, and read it through. Then he looked up at me. "Let me get this straight, your name is Erika Rose Potter, and you're my sister?" Harry Potter asked. "I don't know. I came here looking for answers! I don't even know who you are!" I cried. "Ok, ok, I'll be right back," Harry Potter said, and left me alone at the doorway. I stood on the doorstep, waiting. Finally, Harry returned with an envelope like my own. "This is my Hogwarts letter, I didn't open it yet," he said, and opened in. In his were three pieces of paper. And one of them was a letter much like my own. He read it over, then looked up at me. "Let me get this straight, Dumbledore convinced my parents." Harry said. "Our parents," I corrected. "Fine, our parents. Dumbledore convinced OUR parents that after you were born they should send you to the future so that you'd be safe from Voldemort and no one would know you were a Potter until you were able to be protected at Hogwarts?" Harry asked. "I told you before. I don't know. That's why I came here," I answered. "Your name is Erika, right?" Harry asked. "That's what I said," I said, cooly. This was getting really annoying. "What are our parent's names?" Harry asked. "Lily and James Potter. Are you happy, or do I have to answer twenty more questions?" I asked. "Can you help me or not?" There was a moment of silence. "Yeah, I guess so. Come in," Harry said, and opened the door wider. I walked into the house. The living room was very orderly, with pictures on the mantle. "This is where I live, with Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon, and our cousin Dudley. Aunt Petunia is Mum's sister," Harry said. I nodded. "I sleep upstairs. You can stay in my room, until we can contact Dumbledore," Harry said. We went upstairs, and Harry went over to the desk, sat down, and started writing. "Who are you writing?" I asked. "Dumbledore," Harry answered. I looked around the room. A snowy owl was perched in a cage, sleeping. I still couldn't believe I was here. A few days ago I had no past except a note. Now, here I was, with a brother, and a past much more complicated than anyone else could even imagine. I also knew my parents were dead. I, of course, figured they probably were, but knowing that they were (even if I hadn't known them), just felt sad. I couldn't remember them, but still, they were my parents. I'd heard the ladies at the orphanage talking about them once. "What kind of parents would leave a three-day old baby on the steps of an orphanage?" I was listening through the door of the nurse's office. "I mean, could you imagine, leaving a little baby, a newborn at that, and never coming back?" "They must have been terrible parents." Now, it turned out they weren't bad parents. They were, just dead. They couldn't raise me, it was just. impossible. "So." Harry started. I turned to look at him. "He's just as confused as I am," I thought. "When do you think this 'Dumbledore' character will get back to you?" I asked, slowly. "It depends on how long it takes for him to get the letter," Harry answered. "What do we do until then?" I asked. "Wait, I guess," Harry answered, and sat back in his chair. There were a few moments of uneasy silence. I stared at the area around me. The room was messy, something that definetly wouldn't be allowed at the orphanage. The orphanage. I wondered what my roommates were doing, or if they were looking for me. I grew incredibly uneasy. I reached into the pocket of my bag, and pulled out the little note. I held it and reread the words. It was a habit, whenever I was nervous, uneasy, or frightened, I would read the little note, and I would strangely feel comforted. "What's that?" Harry asked. I looked up, and shrugged. "It's the note my. our. parents left at the orphanage when they left me," I answered, "They let me keep it." "Can I see it?" Harry asked. I shrugged, and handed it to him. My heart ached. Here I was, with a complete stranger that was supposed to be my long-lost brother, unraveling a past that was more complicated than so many of the possible reasons my parents had left me at the orphanage. Harry read it, then handed it back to me without saying a word. "Is it real?" I asked, "I mean, is it your parents' handwriting." "I don't remember what their handwriting looks like," Harry answered, "I don't know." I held the note in my hand. "Um. these people you live with, when do they get back home?" I asked. Harry shrugged, and said, "Whenever they feel like it, I guess. They'll throw a fit once they find out about you. Probably lock you in the closet under the stairs, or, at least, lock one of us in there." I swallowed, and trying desperately to avoid that outcome, said, "Just don't tell them I'm here. I'll be quiet, I swear. You can just. hide me until we get some word from Dumbledore." Harry looked at me, and I realized what similar eyes we had. They might as well have been cloned. He nodded, and said, "Okay, just be quiet." "I will, don't worry," I answered. "I'll sneak you up some food, but it won't be a lot," Harry warned. "I'm used to not getting a lot of food, remember? I used to live with tons of other kids," I said. The front door below us opened. "That would be Aunt Petunia, back from shopping. Here, you can stay in the closet," Harry whispered, and led me to the closet. "What will I do in there?" I hissed. Harry grabbed a book from his shelf, and handed it to me, then shut the door behind me. I reached up and pulled on the little string to turn the light on. I looked down at the book I held, "A Wizard's Guide to History, Book 1." I shrugged, and opened it to the first page.  
  
* * * Same time As told by Megan Alhide Riddle  
  
I sat in the Leaky Cauldron, trying to keep calm. The private back room where I sat was empty, save the table and chairs I were sitting at. I glanced at the clock in the main room nervously. I didn't have much longer. I was surprised that my grandfather's men hadn't seized me yet, that they hadn't tried to bring me back. Were they just letting me go? No, no one in my grandfather's house was that stupid. Ah, so she finally is getting at something. I cringed. Why is it that I still felt as if Ruth had a power over me? Why is it that whenever I thought something, Ruth's opinon always popped into my mind? I had been away for only a night, and I still felt uneasy, unsure. How could they have let me escape so easily? "Miss. er." came a voice from the doorway. I turned and saw a tall wizard standing in the doorway. "Call me Megan," I said, knowing for sure he did not want to speak my name, afterall, who would? "Megan, I'm Frank Castem, assistant to the Minister of Magic," the wizard told me. "Hello, I'm pleased to meet you, and I'm glad you're here," I whispered, "Very glad." "We're surprised, Megan, we never knew you existed, that any of you existed," Mr. Castem said. "Hardly anyone does, that was the point," I told him, "But the point is I do, and I am very, very, scared. I think they might try to come back for me, think I know too much. Truth is, I know much more than they think I do." "What do you want us to do for you, Megan?" Mr. Castem said. "I can only help you from a place where I am safe. I am not safe here, I am safe barely nowhere. Please, send me somewhere where I will be safe, and I will tell you everything you want to know, and more," I pleaded, anything to get me away from my grandfather and sister, "Please. I don't care where!"  
  
* * * The next morning As told by Albus Dumbledore  
  
I woke early, I had a feeling something was about to happen. When I came to my office, I found two owls waiting for me in my window. One was an express Minstry owl. I let them in, and took the Ministry owl first.  
  
Dear Albus, We have a great favor to ask you. It has come to our attention that You-Know-Who (honestly, why don't they just call them by his real name, I thought) has had several actions we were oblivious to. One of these such actions was that he had a son, and through his son, grandchildren. One of these grandchildren has miraculously escaped, and came to us. She is very valueable to us and to our cause. Under a very powerful truth potion, we have found that she is as innocent as a newborn child. Her only plea, is to be put somewhere safe. Therefore, we ask you to enroll her in Hogwarts as a first year student, where she would belong had we known of her birth before this. Her name is Megan Riddle.  
  
I continued to read, as the letter gave a more descriptive of Miss Riddle's position. I rubbed my forehead as the letter was ended, signed by the Minster himself. I quietly put the letter aside, and took the other. It was from Mr. Harry Potter. It seemed he had received his letter, and the letter from Miss. Jones. He had also received Miss Erika Potter on his doorstep. I put that letter aside, and smiled. Hogwarts was going to be very interesting this year.  
  
A/N- The title, "Erika" is currently a working title. Any suggestions, email me! I hope you all liked this! Please don't flame, only CONSTRUCTIVE critiscm. I know the prequel to this did not do altogether well. Well, anyways, read and review. I hope you all liked it!  
  
Any additionial comments can by emailed to me at StarlightEve111@aol.com  
  
Enjoy! 


	3. The Dark Side of Things

A/N- back again. This is chap two! I hope you all liked chap one, and I hope you all like this! I hope the whole idea isn't too far fetched. OK, maybe it is. but, hey it could have happened. Anyways, let's just get to the story!  
  
Disclamer- I don't own anything. It all belongs to the great JK Rowling and all the Harry Potter people. Unfortunately, I'm not on their payroll.  
  
Erika  
  
The next morning I woke in the closet, where I slept (it is actually a bit comfortable when you spread blankets all around it), to yelling.  
  
"I TOLD YOU NOT TO LET THAT ANIMAL OUT!" yelled one voice, who I presumed was Uncle Vernon.  
  
"He needs to fly!" protested the second one, Harry.  
  
"I WON'T HAVE OUR NEIGHBORS SEEING IT!" Uncle Vernon yelled.  
  
I listened, this being the first real argument I'd heard in 4 Privet Drive. I was still lying against my bag, which served as my pillow.  
  
After five minutes, I heard two sets of feet come up the stairs, one heavy and the other more light. I cracked open the door to the closet just a little, just enough for me to see through.  
  
I saw Harry with a heavy, big, man, who I guessed was Uncle Vernon. Uncle Vernon was taking Harry's owl and locking him back into the cage. I caught a glimpse of the letter tied to his leg. I looked up at Uncle Vernon, wondering why he wasn't taking the letter.  
  
He doesn't see it, I realized. I was glad. That letter could hold the truth about me.  
  
A moment later Uncle Vernon left the room, leaving Harry alone. Harry bent down, and stuck his arm through the cage, managing to untie the letter and get it out. He opened it, and read it.  
  
"Erika," he hissed, "It's from Dumbledore."  
  
I opened the door some more and crawled out. It felt good to actually be in a larger space then the small, dark, closet.  
  
"What does it say?" I whispered.  
  
Harry handed it to me, and I read it.  
  
Dear Mr. Harry and Miss Erika Potter,  
  
How nice it is to see those two words side by side. How nice it is to know you are side by side! Your parents would be happy. To answer your question, Mr. Potter, yes, Erika is your sister. As Miss Jones said, your parents sent Erika into the future, with out anyone knowing of her birth, to keep her safe. It is finally time to set things straight, to set everything straight. Mr. Potter, you must understand, we could not tell you before. You would have wanted to go looking for her, and therfore you would have brought out the secret we so elaboratly hid. Now, when she is finally old enough to be brought to Hogwarts, the secret can be revealed. I pray that you will tell very few, only the ones who need to know. As you are now together, you are a very ripe target for Voldemort. I pray you will find somewhere safe. On a lighter note, welcome back to the world that you belong in, Miss Potter. And Mr. Potter, meet your sister, Erika Potter.  
  
Albus Dumbledore  
  
"So, I guess this is it?" I asked, "It's true."  
  
Harry nodded.  
  
There was silence.  
  
"What now?" I asked.  
  
"We leave," Harry said, "Dumbledore wants us to get somewhere safe. Diagon Alley sounds good. We can't stay here. Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia won't keep you. That's the best we can do."  
  
"Allright," I agreed, "I'm ready."  
  
* * * Same time As told by Megan Riddle  
  
I was sitting in a corner table at the Leaky Cauldron. A bowl of soup sat in front of me, but I wasn't eating it. I sipped some pumpkin juice as I read my book. The door from the streets of London opened and shut, and Mr. Castem walked in. He made his way over to me, and I looked up from my book.  
  
"Megan," he said, "We've found a place for you to go."  
  
"Really? Where?" I asked.  
  
"Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," Mr. Castem answered, "Dumbledore is enrolling you with your age group. You'll be in the first year."  
  
"School?" I asked, "Is it safe?"  
  
"Very safe, Megan. You'll be safe there, Professor Dumbledore will make sure of that. Also, you can live as a regular student," Mr. Castem answered.  
  
I was silent, then whispered, "Not with my last name. Mr. Castem, is it possible to keep my identity a secret from the students? It might cause an uproar, you know."  
  
Mr. Castem nodded, thinking.  
  
"Yes, I suppose," he answered. "What would you like to be known as?"  
  
"I could go by my mother's maiden name. Very few know her, and even less know her as a dark witch," I said.  
  
"Allright, then. Just write it on this paper, and I'll send it to Dumbledore," Mr. Castem agreed.  
  
I took his quill, and wrote Megan Alhide Dere.  
  
Mr. Castem left, and I went back to my book, Seers: A Archive.  
  
* * * That Night As told by Erika Potter  
  
"How exactly are we going to get to this Diagon Alley?" I hissed as Harry put the last few things in his trunk.  
  
"The Knight Bus," Harry answered.  
  
"The whatda-what?" I asked.  
  
"The Knight Bus, a wizard transport. I've been on it before, and it's pretty nice. I'm going to go make sure everyone's asleep," Harry said.  
  
I sighed, and sat on the bed. My bag lay beside me, and Harry's trunk sat on the floor. This was confusing me. Here I was, with my newly discovered brother, confused. Urgh!  
  
"They're asleep," Harry said, walking back in, "Let's go."  
  
"So, how are we supposed to get to this 'Knight Bus' exactly?" I asked.  
  
Harry didn't answer, he was too busy lugging his trunk down the steps of the Dursley house.  
  
Once we were outside, Harry set his trunk down.  
  
"We probably should get to an. er. less known spot. There's too many muggles about, could see us out the window," Harry told me.  
  
"Lead on," I whispered, happy I was only carrying a bag instead of a trunk like Harry.  
  
We walked for about ten minutes, stopping every now and then to rest (carrying that trunk was hard work, so I helped him and carried one side). Hedwig was flying to Diagon Alley on her own.  
  
Finally, we were in an alley in Surrey. I sat on Harry's trunk while he dug around in his pockets for his wand.  
  
"I thought you said you weren't supposed to do magic over the summer vacation?" I asked.  
  
"We're not, but this is only a really, really, small spell. Not a spell, really, just a thing," Harry answered.  
  
"Ah," I whispered, and nodded.  
  
Harry found his wand and pointed it out.  
  
"Lumos," he whispered, and the end of his wand lit up.  
  
He waved it around a bit.  
  
I waited a moment, then said, "I suppose it didn't work. Now what?"  
  
"Wait," Harry told me, "It might take a bit."  
  
"Oh, great," I whispered, and sat back down on the trunk, then added, "Say this Knight Bus thing doesn't come. Then how are we supposed to get to Diagon Alley?"  
  
Harry shrugged, and said, "It will come."  
  
A few moments later, I was dozing off on the trunk, when I heard a few screeching noises. I opened my eyes to see a huge double decker bus parked in the road in front of us.  
  
"Come, Erika," Harry said, and we grabbed his trunk.  
  
As we were walking up to it, he hissed to me, "I'm going to tell them you're just a friend of mine, okay?"  
  
I nodded.  
  
We boarded the bus, and Harry paid for two beds and two cups of hot chocolate.  
  
"Who's this?" asked the driver, motioning to me.  
  
"A friend of mine," Harry answered, "Somewhat family to me."  
  
I went and found two beds in the corner, and sat down on one. Harry joined me on the other a few minutes later. I stared out the window.  
  
"How long will this take?" I asked.  
  
"Not long, I don't think," Harry answered, "This bus is just about empty."  
  
"That's good. People aren't supposed to see me yet," I told him, "Or did you forget allready?"  
  
"Haha, very funny," Harry said.  
  
"What's Hogwarts like?" I asked, changing the subject.  
  
"It's great. It's my home. It's like a haven for me. How anyone can hate Hogwarts is beyond me," Harry answered.  
  
I smiled. I couldn't wait.  
  
I spent the rest of our trip reading the book I had started at the Dursleys'. The bus drivers weren't very good drivers. We hit about fifteen hundred bumps, I swear.  
  
Finally, they called "Diagon Alley".  
  
Harry and I got off, and I stared at the little door in front of me.  
  
"This is Diagon Alley?" I asked in disbelief.  
  
"No, this is the Leaky Cauldron, sorta the entrance to Diagon Alley. We'll stay here until we have to go to the station," Harry said, "The rooms are actually a bit comfortable."  
  
"Good, I don't think I can stand another night on an uncomfortable seat," I whispered. "How are we going to pay?"  
  
"I've got money," Harry answered.  
  
"Do you have enough for two rooms?" I asked.  
  
"Sure," Harry answered, "I keep wizard money on me when I'm here. You never know."  
  
I watched from a corner of the pub as Harry went up and got us each a room. I stayed in the shadows. I didn't want anyone to see me. According to them, I didn't exist. Technically, I didn't exist. It was all too confusing for me.  
  
"Come on," Harry said, and handed me a key to my room. "My room's just down the hall. You'll probably want to go to sleep."  
  
I nodded. The Knight Bus was not comfortable place to sleep.  
  
"Okay. Then. let's meet in the morning for breakfast, then we can go into Diagon Alley," Harry said.  
  
I nodded, and we left, going our own ways.  
  
I walked down the hallway. At one point I heard whimpering come from one of the rooms, but continued to my own room.  
  
The room was furnished with a bed, a wardrobe, a bedstand, and a vanity with a mirror. There was also a little window next to the bed. I set my bag down, crossed the room, and opened the window just a bit.  
  
I could hear noise coming from below me, but all I could see was a little courtyard type thing.  
  
I sighed, shut the window, and lay down on the bed. Before I knew it, I was asleep.  
  
I woke the next morning, at first surprised at my surroundings. Then I remembered everything, and relaxed a bit. I remembered everything.  
  
Slowly I got out of bed and changed my clothes, brushed my hair, and brushed my teeth in the little bathroom connected to my room.  
  
Only then did I go downstairs. I glanced around the room nervously. What if someone spotted me? What if someone realized who I was? Thousands of what if's swirled in my head.  
  
I didn't see Harry, so I just grabbed a table in a corner, sat down, and tried not to make myself noticed.  
  
I didn't have to wait long. Harry came down a few minutes later, smiling.  
  
"'Morning," he said, and sat down, "Sorry I'm late. I had to write a letter to my friends first."  
  
"Did you. er. tell them?" I asked.  
  
Harry nodded, and answered, "But they won't believe me. I told them I'm in Diagon Alley, though, so they should be visiting soon."  
  
"What are we going to do today?" I asked.  
  
"Well, we probably should get your school supplies," Harry answered, "And I need a few things as well."  
  
"Okay, then," I answered.  
  
* * * Same time As told by Megan Riddle  
  
There were a lot of people in the Leaky Cauldron that morning. I sat in a corner, again, so I was out of the light. So no one could see me but I could see them. I was scared, scared that at any moment some Death Eaters might burst through the doors and try to get me. Try to return me to my grandfather, to my sister.  
  
I couldn't imagine what they'd be like when they'd realized I was gone. There were few things my grandfather and sister didn't know about anyone in their house. They knew almost everything about me. Everything but one thing, something I didn't want them to know.  
  
I held my face in my hands, and sighed. If they knew, I would never have been allowed to do the things I was allowed to do. I wouldn't be here now. They would have had a tighter grip on me.  
  
I would probably still be there.  
  
I was hated there for being "weak" as my sister had called me. Here, I would probably be hated for having my name. I hated myself for having my name.  
  
* * * Hogwarts As told by Albus Dumbledore  
  
I sat at my desk, looking over some papers, when the door quietly opened.  
  
"Miss Jones, in all the time that I have known you, I have never seen you enter a room quietly," I said without looking up.  
  
Miss Jones sat in one of the chair oposite me. I looked up. Her face was strained.  
  
"Yes, Miss Jones?" I asked.  
  
"I just came to bring my stuff here, and, well." Miss Jones said, "I'm. um. you know."  
  
"Nervous?" I inquired.  
  
"Yes. I'm having mixed feelings about meeting them, you know. I've only seen them. I've never really spoken to them," Miss Jones said, "I'm worried about what they might actually be like."  
  
"Mr. Potter is a wonderful young man, just like his father. I have not met with Miss Potter since that night, but, I assure you, I have reports that she is equally brave as her brother, and as her parents were," I told her.  
  
Miss Jones nodded.  
  
* * * A few minutes later As told by Erika Potter  
  
Harry led me out of the Leaky Cauldron after breakfast, to the same little alley that I could see out the window of my room.  
  
"Er." I said, "What are we doing back here."  
  
Harry rolled his eyes, and pulled out his wand. He tapped a few stones, and they started to spread apart, forming an archway.  
  
"Wow," I whispered.  
  
"This, is Diagon Alley," Harry said.  
  
Okay, wow. This place was huge. It was crowded with people, people dressed the same fashion.  
  
"Come on," Harry told me, "We'll go to the bank first."  
  
"Bank? Wizards have banks?" I asked, following Harry through the crowd.  
  
"Gringotts," he answered, "Supposed to be really safe. Our parents left me money there."  
  
Gringotts turned out to be a huge marble building.  
  
When we got in I found out that if I wanted to get to the vault I had to ride in this little cart thing.  
  
"Um. I think I'll. uh. wait outside, okay?" I asked.  
  
"Sure," Harry answered, "I'll be out in a few minutes. Be. er. careful."  
  
What, did he think I was going to go and get myself killed? While he left in the little cart, I went back outside and sat down on the steps, watching the people walk by. Most people didn't give me a second look, which was good. Let them forget my face, for now.  
  
It was hard, to want to be invisible. At the orphanage, I had spent most of my time trying to be noticed. Now I couldn't be, not until I got to the school and my secret could finally be out.  
  
Harry came out a few minutes later, looking slightly green (which made me decide that I had made a good decision about not getting in that cart).  
  
"Where to first?" I asked.  
  
"Well, you need basically everything, I need a few books, a touch-up on my Potions stuff. Tell you what, why don't we go get our stuff, then I can give you some money and you can get your robes and your wand. I have to go look at some Quidditch stuff, I made captian," Harry said.  
  
"Okay, the moment we get back to the Leaky Cauldron you're explaining the whole 'Quidditch' thing," I told him.  
  
Harry laughed.  
  
I eventually found my way to navigate around Diagon Alley. By the time Harry had left me, I was pretty sure about where I had to go. He gave me enough money to get my robes and wand.  
  
"I'll meet you here in an hour," he said.  
  
I nodded.  
  
The robe shop was a shop nestled between the second-hand qualdrons and broom repair shop. I walked in and right away, a little woman rushed forward.  
  
"I need robes for. err. Hogwarts," I told her.  
  
"Alright, come back here. Stand on this stool, and I'll have someone start fitting you," she said, then yelled into the back of the shop, "Mindy! Mindy, I have a customer for you!"  
  
Mindy turned out to be a tall witch, young, who looked very overworked.  
  
She led me to the back of the shop, and stood me up on a stool. She slipped a long robe over my head and started pinning it up.  
  
"You must be a first year," she said, not looking up.  
  
"Yes," I said.  
  
"Are you excited?"  
  
"Very much," I answered, "I never knew about any of this stuff."  
  
"Oh, so you're muggle born," Mindy said.  
  
"No, my parents were a witch and wizard, I was just raised as a. er. muggle. It's very complicated," I replied.  
  
I was proud, I had used a new vocab word "muggle".  
  
"Ah, I get it," Mindy said, then finally looked up, and whispered, "You remind me of someone, I don't know who. Probably someone from Hogwarts. I graduated last year."  
  
"Really?" I said, coughing.  
  
I was sure she meant Harry.  
  
"Is it fun there?" I asked, trying to change the subject.  
  
"The best years of my life," she said, "And very exciting. I was in Ravenclaw. What house do you hope to be in?"  
  
"I don't care," I whispered, "I haven't really put that much thought into it."  
  
Note to self: force Harry to tell you about Hogwarts.  
  
A few minutes later, Mindy stood up.  
  
"There, done," she said.  
  
I emerged from the shop and glanced around for the wand shop.  
  
Olivanders: Maker of Fine Wands Since 382 B.C.  
  
Wow. Someone was old, and very dedicated.  
  
I walked into the shop, which was empty. There was no one, not even a shop worker.  
  
I cleared my throat.  
  
"Hello?" I called, "I'm. um. looking for a wand?"  
  
"Of course you are. That's why you're here," a voice from behind me said.  
  
I just about jumped three feet, and spun around.  
  
An old man stood behind me, peering at me through his eyeglasses.  
  
"You look fimilar in some strange way. Those eyes, where have I seen those eyes?" he asked.  
  
I tried to laugh, and said, "I need a wand."  
  
"Well, of course. Now, what's your wand hand." he asked, searching for my name.  
  
"Erika," I told him, "And it's my right hand."  
  
"Well, then, Erika, raise your right hand," he instructed.  
  
I think he might have been looking for my last name, but I wasn't about to put that in. So far, I didn't trust this guy. What kind of a shop keeper sneaks up on his customers.  
  
This tape measurer that measured by itself started taking all kinds of measurements, stuff you'd never think it would need to know (such as the distance between one foot and the other when I'm standing).  
  
As if a tape measurer that is measuring by itself is strange enough, I get wacky measurements.  
  
"Now, Erika, let's try this," he said, and handed me a wand.  
  
I took the wand in my hand, and stood there for a second.  
  
"What do I do?" I asked.  
  
"Doesn't matter. That's not good," he said, and snatched it from my hand.  
  
He gave me wand after wand before he finally found the right one.  
  
"Eleven inches, made of willow with a unicorn's hair," Mr. Olivander said, and handed it to me.  
  
Right away, I felt the difference. My fingertips were warm, and sparks started coming out of the tip.  
  
"Perfect!" Mr. Olivander said, and wrapped the wand for me.  
  
I went to meet Harry, who was waiting, leaning up against the wall.  
  
"There you are. I've been here for at least fifteen minutes," he said.  
  
"I was caught up in the wand shop. That Mr. Olivander is a pretty weird guy," I told him.  
  
Harry was about to say something when there was a commotion down the alleyway.  
  
"What's going on?" I asked.  
  
People started running from the enterance.  
  
"Death Eaters!" someone yelled to us, "Run!"  
  
"Death Eaters?" I repeated, "What are Death Eaters?"  
  
"The people that killed our parents," Harry hissed.  
  
My eyes widened. Them, here?  
  
"Come on, Erika, let's see if there's someway to get around," Harry said, and we pushed against the crowd.  
  
We reached the edge of the crowd to see five people robed in black with masks so you couldn't see their faces.  
  
"Shoot!" Harry hissed.  
  
"I take it this is a bad thing," I whispered.  
  
Harry nodded.  
  
Then he saw the alleyway.  
  
He grabbed my hand and pulled me towards it.  
  
"We must may be able to sneak around them," he hissed, "Be quiet."  
  
I had no intention of yelling or screaming, if that's what he thought.  
  
We were about halfway to the enterance, when they spotted us.  
  
"Run," Harry hissed, and we broke in a run to the enterance.  
  
They were chasing us, shooting curses all the meanwhile. We dodged through the enterance, and quickly shut it behind us.  
  
Knowing they would be after us any second, we ran into the Leaky Cauldron and up the stairs to our rooms.  
  
"Hide," he called.  
  
I ran into my room and hid so I could see out my window via the mirror. I watched. The enterance never opened. About ten minutes later I went to find Harry.  
  
"They're gone," he said, "The minister showed up, and they left."  
  
"Good," I sighed, then turned to my brother, "You have some explaining to do."  
  
* * * Same time As told by Megan Riddle  
  
They had come for me. I was sure of it. What else would they be doing here.  
  
I was sitting in the private dining room again. The minister himself was coming to see me.  
  
I rocked silently, remembering.  
  
I had been down here, in the main room, reading, but watching people over the pages. I had always wanted to see what it was like to be a normal witch or wizard.  
  
Then someone ran into the Leaky Cauldron.  
  
"Death Eaters!" they yelled, "In the alley!"  
  
Suddenly, the place was in chaos. I was gasping for air. They had come for me. They had finally come for me. I didn't want to back with them. I didn't matter that they had let me escape. I would be punished. Ruth would probably gladly do the punishment. Afterall, she was second in command now.  
  
So I had dashed in here, and hid beside the door so I could see people coming in. I saw two people run in. One looked like Harry Potter, who was supposed to be my sworn enemy. The other person looked like him, but was a girl. I didn't know her.  
  
The Death Eaters never came. I was glad. I was given a message that the minister was coming to see me as soon as Diagon Alley was under control again. So here I was.  
  
* * * A few minutes later A remote castle  
  
"Two of them?" Voldemort yelled.  
  
"Yes, sir. Harry Potter, and another, a girl," the Death Eater reported.  
  
"Two?" Voldemort repeated, then looked thoughtful, well, as thoughtful as you can look when you're a Dark Lord, "Perhaps the stories are true."  
  
"Stories?" asked the girl standing beside the chair Voldemort was sitting on, "What stories?"  
  
Voldemort ignored her, and turned to the Death Eaters, "That girl is now ranking with Harry Potter. She, too, shall be dead by the end of the year."  
  
The Death Eaters nodded, their mission having been set.  
  
"What of the target?" Voldemort asked.  
  
"She escaped, Master. We didn't get to find her," the Death Eaters said, "The Minister of Magic showed up."  
  
"You fools! You let her escape!" the girl yelled, then turned to Voldemort, "May I, Master?"  
  
Voldemort nodded, and the girl brandished a wand.  
  
"Crucio! Perhaps this will teach you! Next time I tell you to do something, you will bring her back!" she yelled.  
  
The Death Eaters bent over in pain.  
  
A/N- so, what do you all think? I know you're all impatient for this one, but with school and all that, I don't have, like, any time. I promise you, I spend all the time I can writing these. I hope the quality is good. Well, next time, you get to the Hogwarts Express!!! Look for the next chapter, and I'm telling you, this story will be MUCH easier to understand if you read the prequel, Lily's Lake by none other than me, Starlight Eve! Until then, buh-bye!!!  
  
Remember, REVIEW!!! It only takes a second!!!  
  
Any additional comments can be given to me at StarlightEve111@aol.com 


	4. A New Friend

A/n- back again. Hope you all liked the last chap. Things should probably be starting to click, if they haven't already. This chap will mainly be about the train ride. I want ya'll to know that I'm trying to post these ASAP, but I have a lot to do. So, I'm trying my best. Hey, you never know, the next chap could be up in a few days!!! I have a four day weekend coming up soon, so. yeah.Well, anyways, read on, and don't forget. REVIEW!!!  
  
Disclaimer- I don't own nothing, nada. It all belongs to the Great Harry Potter people *bows*. I am not one of them. I am not getting paid. If I were, I most certainly wouldn't have an empty purse.  
  
  
  
Erika  
  
  
  
"Okay," I said, "I get it now."  
  
Not really!  
  
Harry was giving me the whole story on how our parents died and everything. Then he had told me that now that Voldemort was back, he was a main target. Then he told me that since I was his sister, I was just about as targetted as he was.  
  
Great.  
  
"Wonderful, huh?" Harry asked.  
  
"Perfect," I answered, "I probably would have been safer back at the orphanage. You know, I have no strong desires to die."  
  
Harry laughed.  
  
"Well, anyways, I'm going to go to my room and sleep. Someone had to completely freak me out, so I'll probably have nightmares!" I said, and glared at my brother.  
  
"You'll get over it," Harry told me, "I'm pretty much used to it."  
  
I nodded, disbelieving.  
  
"Okay, little lie. I'm almost used to it," Harry said.  
  
I nodded, and went to my room.  
  
"Erika! Erika, wake up!" Harry said, banging on my door the next morning.  
  
I ignored him, and rolled over in bed.  
  
"Erika!" he yelled.  
  
"It's morning, let me sleep!" I shouted, then buried my head in the pillow.  
  
"Erika, my friends are here! They want to see you!" Harry yelled.  
  
I groaned. I got out of bed, however, and dressed. I yelled at Harry, who left my door alone, and went downstairs. I looked like a mess. I combed my hair, and put it up quickly. Finally, I left my room and went downstairs.  
  
I spotted Harry at a table in the corner (another corner!) talking to two people sitting at the table in front of him. I walked over slowly, watching them.  
  
There was two girls and a boy. One of the girls and the boy were tall (even though they were sitting down, I could tell), with fiery red hair and freckles. The girl had bushy brown hair and was smiling.  
  
I walked over and stood behind Harry.  
  
The girl with red hair let out a yelp and fell over in her chair. Everyone turned to look at why she had yelped: me.  
  
"Whoa," the boy said.  
  
"Harry?" the other girl asked.  
  
I saw that they were holding the letter from Dumbledore, which I presumed they read.  
  
"Guys, this is my sister, Erika," Harry said, "Pretty weird, huh?"  
  
The boy gulped and nodded.  
  
"Erika, this is Ron, Hermione, and Ron's sister, Ginny," Harry told me.  
  
"Hi," I said.  
  
"Pleased to meet you, Erika," Hermione said. "This is fascinating, Harry. All this time, we thought you were an only child. The moment we get back to Hogwarts, I'll have to look up this charm in the library."  
  
"Honestly," Ron cried, "You might as well have Dumbledore put a dorm in there for you! You spend all your time there!"  
  
"Oh, at least I do something other than get myself into trouble," Hermione said, "This is our last year, Ron, you should study!"  
  
"And you should lighten up a bit!" Ron cried.  
  
"Oh, come off it, both of you," Harry said.  
  
I raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Anyways, after breakfast, Ron, I have to show you something I saw at Quality Quidditch Supplies," Harry said.  
  
Hermione groaned.  
  
"You still haven't told me what Quidditch is," I interuppted, the first few words I'd said since "Hi."  
  
Harry and Ron went to answer at the same time when Hermione interuppted.  
  
"Trust me, Erika, you don't want to listen to those two with Quidditch. While they're looking at Quidditch things, why don't you, Ginny, and I go shopping. I need a few new books." Hermione said, but was interuppted by groans from Harry and Ron.  
  
I sat down, interested with the antics of my brother and his friends.  
  
While we ate Ron described his latest scuffle with his family.  
  
"So Mum made me take Ginny with me, since she needs to get her school stuff, still," Ron said.  
  
"I wanted to go on my own, but Mum wouldn't let me," Ginny protested.  
  
Ron rolled his eyes.  
  
I thought for a moment. If Ginny was a year younger than Ron, and Ron was born the same year as Harry, then.  
  
"We were born in the same year," I said.  
  
"What?" Harry asked.  
  
"Ginny and I, we were born the same year," I answered, "A year after you three."  
  
"Technically, she's right," Hermione agreed.  
  
"Oh, enough with 'technically'. Come on, Harry, let's go look at some Quidditch stuff," Ron said.  
  
Him and Harry left, shortly followed by Hermione, Ginny, and I. They actually told me all about Hogwarts. Hermione was the Head Girl, whereas Harry was Head Boy.  
  
"How long have you lot been friends?" I asked.  
  
"Since our first year. It's a funny story, actually," Hermione answered, then told me the story about the troll in the first year.  
  
"Trolls exist?" I asked, "I thought they were those little things with hair that sticks up that people put on their dashboards."  
  
"No, they're real," Hermione told me.  
  
"Cool."  
  
* * * Same time As told by Megan Dere Riddle  
  
I had watched them throughout the morning, while they ate breakfast. I had never seen them before, but I knew soon who they were. The boy with the scar on his forehead gave it away. He was Harry Potter. I knew two others: Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, I'd heard their names whispered when no one thought my grandfather or sister could hear. But I didn't reckognize the other two. They were both girls, and looked like the boys who were with them, they could have been related to them, but I wasn't sure.  
  
They were supposed to be my sworn enemies, always fouling my grandfather's plans, and my sister's (which few she had, since she had just started to emerge in the dark world).  
  
I had hated them as a young child. I was supposed to. They had sent my grandfather away for a long time, they had fouled his plans to come back time after time, until he finally succeeded. I had eventually realized, though, they in truth, they had done nothing wrong.  
  
I had never spoken these thoughts aloud. I would probably have been punished. Punishment at my grandfather's house was not pleasant. Not all who were punished survived.  
  
* * * Later As told by Erika Potter  
  
I met the rest of the Weasleys that night at dinner, back in the Leaky Cauldron. There I was introduced to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, along with the rest of their kids. They had five others than Ron and Ginny, all were grown up and out of Hogwarts.  
  
Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were really nice (after they got over the first shock of actually knowing the truth about me). Not all of their kids were there, but they had pictures.  
  
Only Percy, their third oldest, was there.  
  
"My boss gave me the evening off," he explained, "As it's my little brother's last year at Hogwarts."  
  
I had the feeling I wasn't going to like Percy all that much.  
  
September 1st rolled around. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley got us some cars to take to the train station. It was a tight fit, with all our things, but we managed. Once we reached the station we put our things on carts, and followed Mr. and Mrs. Weasley to the platform.  
  
"Harry," I whispered, "I've only been here once before, but I can't remember there being a 'Platform 9 and ¾' here."  
  
Harry just grinned.  
  
"Allright, come on," Mrs. Weasley said, and stopped at the barrier between platforms nine and ten, "Ron, Harry, you first."  
  
They started walking towards the barrier, as if without a care in the world. Then, just as they were about to hit it, they were gone. Disappeared.  
  
Of course, magic, stupid me.  
  
"Ginny, Hermione, Erika, you three next," Mrs. Weasely said.  
  
"Er." I started.  
  
"Erika, just run towards the barrier, and don't stop, okay?" Hermione told me, and followed Ginny.  
  
I followed. I was going to hit the barrier, I just knew it. But I ran anyway.  
  
Then, I was through. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny were waiting. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley came in after me.  
  
There were tons of people, all standing on the platform. Beside the platform was a scarlet train, with "Hogwarts Express" written on it.  
  
"Erika, we're going to go find seats. We'll see you at school," Harry told me.  
  
I nodded, and watched as they all walked away.  
  
I got my stuff on the train, by some miracle, and started searching for a place to sit.  
  
I was walking backwards, trying to pull my trunk, when I collided with someone behind me.  
  
"Ow!" I cried, and the person behind me did the same.  
  
I turned around to see a girl, with short (shorter than mine, which is shoulder length) brown hair and green eyes.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry," I said, "I didn't see you there."  
  
"It's alright," the girl said, and looked at me.  
  
She was very pale.  
  
"I wasn't watching where I was going, either," the girl told me, then asked, "Are you a first year?"  
  
I nodded, "Are you?"  
  
She nodded, and started to smile, weakly, as if afriad to.  
  
"I'm Erika, what's your name?" I asked.  
  
"Megan Dere," she answered.  
  
"Pleased to meet you. Have you found a compartment?" I asked.  
  
She shook her head.  
  
"Well, let's sit together, then," I suggested.  
  
This time, she smiled completely, and nodded. We walked down the hallways until we found an empty one.  
  
"So, what house do you want to be in?" I asked once we sat in.  
  
"Gryffindor," she answered, "I wouldn't survive in Slytherin, literally."  
  
I grinned, "Me too. My family is supposed to be from Gryffindor, too, or so I'm told."  
  
And so our conversation began.  
  
* * * Same time As told by Megan Dere Riddle  
  
I couldn't believe it. Here I was, sitting with someone my age, and getting along well with them. I had never known other girls my age who weren't interested in the Dark Arts, until now. And Erika didn't seem at all interested in the Dark Arts. It felt so good to finally have a friend.  
  
But I was worried about the sorting. If I were placed in Slytherin, I wouldn't survive. I'd be dead by Christmas. They'd kill me.  
  
I knew they would.  
  
* * * An Hour Later As told by Anya Jones  
  
"Anya."  
  
The door to my office opened. McGonagall stood in the doorway. I turned around and smiled.  
  
"The students are to arrive in a few hours. Dumbledore is sending me to tell eveyrone," McGonagall said.  
  
"Thanks. When do we have to be in the Great Hall?" I asked.  
  
"By five, preferrably," McGonagall answered.  
  
I nodded. Five o'clock.  
  
McGonagall left, and I shut my eyes. Okay, I could do this. I could do this.  
  
(A/N- I'm kinda rushing through the train ride, I hope you don't mind).  
  
* * * A few hours later As told by Erika Potter  
  
The train slowed to a stop.  
  
"I guess we're here," Megan said.  
  
I nodded.  
  
"Please exit the train, and leave your baggage behind," a voice shouted up and down the train.  
  
Moments before Megan and I had changed into our robes. We opened the compartement doors and joined the mush of people trying to get outside. We jumped onto the platform and started to look around.  
  
"First years over here!" another voice yelled.  
  
We turned to see a man, about twice the size high as a regular person, and much more thick.  
  
"A giant," Megan whispered, in awe.  
  
But there was a little more than awe in her voice, something I couldn't reckognize.  
  
We ran over to where the rest of the first years stood. A few minutes later, the man nodded.  
  
"That's off ya. Come on, now," he said.  
  
He led us away from the rest of the students, and down a long, twisting path. We talked in whispers.  
  
"I wonder where we're going," I whispered.  
  
Megan nodded, shivering in her robes.  
  
We reached the edge of a lake, with boats lined up in front of it.  
  
"Allright now, four to a boat. Move along now!" the giant yelled.  
  
Megan and I scrammbled into one boat, and was joined, a moment later, by two others. Megan turned her back to them, and I followed suit.  
  
The man pointed forward, and we started to move silently across the water. I grinned.  
  
"Isn't it beautiful?" Megan whispered.  
  
"What?" I asked.  
  
"The castle," she answered, and pointed.  
  
I looked up to see a huge, stone, castle. Lights were on in the windows, and there were many towers.  
  
"It is beautiful," I agreed.  
  
We reached the other end of the lake, and silently exited the boats. We looked up at the castle, and followed the giant up a path and field, to huge doors. He knocked on them, once, twice.  
  
They opened. A tall woman frowned down at us from behind the doors.  
  
"Hagrid, you're late," she said.  
  
"Sorry, professor, but it couldn't be helped," the giant- Hagrid- replied.  
  
The woman nodded, and said to us, "Come on now. You'll have to go straight to the Great Hall."  
  
She opened the doors wider, and motioned for us to follow her in. The hallway was HUGE, to put it lightly. Megan and I looked around in awe.  
  
"The rest of the school is in the Great Hall. We will go there now. Before you can join your classmates at your tables, each of you must be sorted into the houses. There are four of them: Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, Gryffindor, and Slytherin. Each are highly respectable," the professor told us, "While here you will take classes with your house, sleep in your house. Your house will become like your family. Good things you do will earn your house points, while rule breaking will lose your house points. The house with the most amount of points will be awarded the House Cup at the end of the year. Now, we will enter the Great Hall."  
  
"I wonder how they sort us," I whispered to Megan, who shrugged.  
  
She looked a lot paler than usual.  
  
"Are you alright?" I asked.  
  
"Huh? Oh, yes, I'm fine," she answered, and managed a weak smile.  
  
The professor opened some more huge doors, and led the line of students in. We were in a line, facing the students with our back to the professor's table.  
  
The woman who had brought us in carried out a rather dirty, beaten up old hat. Something I was sure wouldn't have lasted through room checks at the orphanage.  
  
Just then, the hat started singing.  
  
"The Great Hogwarts Four Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff Slytherin and Gryffindor Each a great move Each a great start Ravenclaw, A house for the wise Hufflepuff, A house for the loyal Gryffindor, A house for the brave Slytherin, A hosue for friends Try me on I'll tell you where you belong Don't be scared Just try me on! For you'll go where you belong!"  
  
The Great Hall broke into clapping.  
  
The woman turned to us and announced, "When I call your name come up and put the hat on. Arvet, Julia!"  
  
"RAVENCLAW!"  
  
She went on and on, until she reached Megan's name.  
  
"Dere, Megan!"  
  
I crossed my fingers.  
  
* * * Same time As told by Megan Dere Riddle  
  
I stepped up and slipped the hat on over my head.  
  
"Miss Riddle. going by an alias are you?"  
  
I bit my lip.  
  
"Well, let's see, where do you belong? My, lots of power you have, oh, yes, lots. Talent as well, but, whew, the power! You'd do well in Slytherin, they'd help you find a path to greatness, they would!"  
  
"Not Slytherin!" I thought desperately.  
  
"Why ever not? Slytherin would do you well!"  
  
"NO!" I thought.  
  
"Well, in that case, it is clear you belong in."  
  
"GRYFFINDOR!"  
  
* * * Same moment As told by Erika Potter  
  
I clapped as Megan took the hat off and walked over to the Gryffindor table in a daze.  
  
More names were called.  
  
Then. "Potter, Erika!"  
  
I walked up to the stool, and sat down, slipping that hat over my head.  
  
"Miss Potter. let's see. where do you belong?"  
  
I shut my eyes tight.  
  
"There's a lot of talent in you, yes, plently of talent. A lot of bravery as well. But where do you belong?"  
  
A few more comments later, the answer.  
  
"GRYFFINDOR!"  
  
  
  
A/N- well, that was short, but only because I want to get on with the chapter. Next chapter will bring the first week or so! I hope you liked it, I worked hard. Well, until the next chapter, buh-bye! And, remember, READ AND REVIEW!!!  
  
Any additional comments can be reached at StarlightEve111@aol.com  
  
Buh-bye! 


	5. The First Few Days A new teacher, and se...

A/N- this is CHAPTER 4 of Erika, which I know needs a new title. If you have any suggestions, I will gladly take them. Erika and Megan got sorted in the last chap, now for the feast, first night, and possibly the first few days. OK, is anyone still confused with the whole Ruth-Megan thing? Huh? Well, if you are, just tell me in your review, and I'll try to better explain it without giving away the entire plot. Well, I'm done now. REVIEW!  
  
Disclaimer- I own nothing at all. Nada. It belongs to the great Harry Potter people.  
  
  
  
Erika  
  
  
  
I slipped the hat off my head and sighed in relief. The Gryffindors burst into clapping, and I slid into the seat beside Megan. Another one of the first year girls turned to look at me.  
  
"Potter?" she asked, "Are you, like, related to THE Harry Potter?"  
  
I noticed she emphasized "the."  
  
"I'm his sister," I answered.  
  
She laughed, "Very funny, he doesn't have a sister."  
  
Another girl slid into the seat across from us.  
  
"Who are you talking to, Avery?" she asked.  
  
"This girl's claiming to be Harry Potter's sister," the girl- Avery- answered, motioning to me.  
  
"Oh, come off it, you don't think we're stupid do you? Harry Potter doesn't have a sister. He's an only child, everyone knows that," the other girl said.  
  
I rolled my eyes, and turned to Megan to watch the rest of the sorting.  
  
At the end of the sorting, Professor Dumbledore, who Harry had pointed out to me on a card he had, stood up.  
  
"Now, on with the feast. A few words, dibble, noch, skeel!"  
  
We looked down at the plates before us, which suddenly filled with foods of all kinds. We let out a delighted cry, and started to eat.  
  
I flatly ignored the two girls who had spoken to me before, who were now joined by another girl.  
  
I realized that just down the table from us was seated a tall man, who looked, rather, er. transparent.  
  
"Is that a ghost?" I asked Megan, poking her.  
  
She looked, and nodded, "That's a ghost, alright. But most ghosts are friendly, don't worry about it."  
  
At the end, Dumbledore stood up again.  
  
"Now, before you go off to bed, let me give out a few announcements. I would like to inform that Mr. Filch would like to, once again, remind you that you are to respect the castle and the things in it. Also, I would like to remind our returning students, as well as inform our new ones, that the forrest on the grounds is forbidden to everyone unless by special cirumstance and written permission from me. Lastly, I would like to ask you all that while you are attending this school, to put all thoughts of what is happening in the outside world out of your head and concentrate on the task before you, become well educated witches and wizards," Dumbledore announced. "Now, house prefects, please lead your houses to bed."  
  
There was commotion in the Great Hall as everyone started towards the doors.  
  
"Gryffindors! Gryffindors, this way!" Harry yelled.  
  
"Come along!" Hermione shouted.  
  
They led us up some stairs, through hallways, doors, hidden doors, more stairs, and through so many passageways I was sure I'd lose my way in an instant. Finally, we reached a portrait, and all commotion seemed to stop.  
  
"This is the enterance to the Gryffindor tower. The password is 'hubble', which is very important. You must remember the password, or you will not be able to enter the tower," Hermione shouted over the talking of the Gryffindors.  
  
The portrait swung open, and we climbed in.  
  
We were now standing in a huge, warm, room. There were chairs, tables, couches, and armchairs spread out throughout the room, with a huge fire burning in the fireplace. It was mostly red and gold.  
  
"Alright, boys are up those stairs and girls up those," Harry said.  
  
Everyone started filing up the stairs.  
  
I waved to Harry, and followed Megan and the other girls up.  
  
"Wow, look at these rooms," one of them cried, "They're so pretty!"  
  
I soon knew all their names. One of them was Avery Hide, another was Jewel Morgan, and another was Lucy Presett. Lucy was the one who had been talking to Avery at dinner, and Jewel had been sitting with them as well.  
  
"Megan Dere?" Lucy asked, "I've never heard of a Dere in Hogwarts. Are you muggle-born."  
  
"No," Megan answered, "My parents are full-blood."  
  
She looked pale and quiet.  
  
"Well," I said, throwing myself on the bed to get Megan out of the spotlight, "I'm tired."  
  
"Oh, stop being a show-off, Erika," Avery said, and Lucy left Megan to go talk to Avery and Jewel.  
  
"Thank you," Megan mouthed, and sat down on the bed next to me, in the corner, that she had claimed for her own.  
  
"I'm going to go to bed now, I'm stuffed," I said.  
  
Megan nodded in agreement.  
  
"You know, Megan, I think we're going to become really good friends," I told her.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
"Master, I bring you news," asked a figure, walking into a dimly lit room.  
  
"What is it?" Voldemort sneered, "Wormtail, you never bring much news. This had better be good."  
  
The girl beside Voldemort glared at Wormtail.  
  
"It's about the Sorting at Hogwarts, Master," Wormtail answered.  
  
"Oh, do tell," Voldemort hissed.  
  
The girl fixed her attention on Wormtail, eager to hear about what had happened at the Sorting, but not showing her emotion.  
  
Emotion was dangerous in her grandfather's house.  
  
"The girl you were informed of early, who was with Harry Potter at Diagon Alley, her name is Erika Potter," Wormtail offered.  
  
Voldemort sat back in his chair once more, "So the stories are true then. This girl, this Erika Potter, she is Harry Potter's sister."  
  
Wormtail stood fixed on his Master, but he wavered. Harry Potter has a sister? Even the girl beside Voldemort wavered a bit in her stance. But she regained it quickly.  
  
"What other news do you bring?" Voldemort asked.  
  
Wormtail hesitated, but said, "Sources in Hogwarts tell me that Megan Riddle is going as Megan Dere."  
  
"Her mother's name," the girl beside Voldemort hissed.  
  
"Also, she was sorted into Gryffindor," Wormtail said, and cringed.  
  
"GRYFFINDOR!" the girl exploded, "GRYFFINDOR! Oh, that swine! That good for nothing swine!"  
  
"Contain yourself," Voldemort hissed at her, his eyes glaring at her.  
  
She cringed, but nodded, "Yes, Master."  
  
"Since you are full of hate for Megan, it will be your duty to do away with her," Voldemort said, "As well as Harry Potter and Erika Potter. I want them dead by the end of the year, all three of them."  
  
The girl nodded, "I will do as you wish, Master."  
  
"Good. Now, leave me, both of you," Voldemort yelled.  
  
Wormtail and the girl left. As Wormtail went to leave, Megan pushed him against the wall.  
  
"Wormtail, what sources told you that Megan was sorted into Gryffindor?" the girl shouted.  
  
Wormtail shook beneath the girl's death grip.  
  
"WHO YOU WORTHLESS PIG? TELL ME NOW!" she yelled.  
  
Wormtail spit out the name. The girl glared at him.  
  
"She is a disgrace," the girl yelled.  
  
She spit at Wormtail, and said, "I never did like you, Wormtail. Neither did my father. I don't know what my master sees in you."  
  
With that, she pushed him up against the wall one more time, let go, and walked away.  
  
Wormtail watched her retreating back.  
  
A good heir she would make. She was exactly like her grandfather, her master, Voldemort, cold, cruel, and heartless. As a younger child, it seemed her only cares in the world were being favored, and Megan. Megan had been her pet as a young child. Wormtail had seen little of them as children. They rarely ever were allowed to appear to others, and were kept locked away in the far chambers of the castle. Lately, she had been appearing more and more. And, frankly, Wormtai was scared of her.  
  
  
  
* * * That night As told by Megan Alhide Dere Riddle  
  
  
  
I woke late at night. Everyone else was asleep, and it was pitch black. I almost cried out, and wondered if I had screamed in my sleep. No one stirred, though. If I had, they had slept through it. I wiped my face. I was sweating, and warm. I sighed, and tried to breathe easier. But I couldn't. I kept hearing Ruth's voice in my head.  
  
"My pet. my favored. you could have been. great. powerful. feared. Megan, don't you want to be all those things?"  
  
She had been known to whisper that to me many times. I could remember all my answers.  
  
As a young child I would say, "Yes, Ruth."  
  
"My good little pet." Ruth would respond.  
  
But after my change in heart, I would always tell her no. It would only cause her to get mad at me, throw things at me, hit me, curse me, or sometimes, all of those things. Ruth had no patience, and her temper was enough to make the world quake. Many times I had been afraid to fall asleep at night, fearful that Ruth would kill me as I slept. Ruth was one to be feared. She wanted power more than anything. As a younger child, she had struggled to be noticed. No one was spoiled in our house. We were allowed no fire, and lived in the cold, with only our robes for heat. However, Grandfather noticed her. Grandfather named Ruth as his heir. He chose her. She was now allowed more pleasures, better food, more drink, small things.  
  
She often enticed me with them. She said that I could have all those things. I was her only full sister, I could be her favorite. If only I would turn back to her side, the darker side. She would threaten me, anything to make me change. Then, that one day, that beautiful, wonderful day, Ruth had gotten mad at me again.  
  
We were in her room. A small fire was burning in the fireplace (another one of Ruth's pleasures). Ruth got so mad at me, she threw a vase at me, used "Crucio" more than once. At my luck, the vase had held some precious Floo Powder (Grandfather had connections at the Ministry, so we were connected to the Floo Network, but no one knew). I grabbed some. When Ruth pushed me into the fire, I threw the Floo Powder in behind me, and whispered, "Digaon Alley." And I was off.  
  
When I had reached Diagon Alley, I had wandered around until I had found help. That first night was the scariest night of my life. I was sure they'd come for me. They never did.  
  
"It's only a matter of time, dear sister. Then, we will have you once again," I heard Ruth's voice in my head again.  
  
I shuttered.  
  
I vowed not to fall asleep again that night, for fear the dreams and nightmares that awaited me there. Cursed sleep!  
  
But just before dawn, I fell asleep again, dreaming of them capturing me on a broom. Ruth's face looming in front of me, threatening me, then turning the next second and saying I was her favorite.  
  
  
  
* * * That morning As told by Erika Potter  
  
"Megan! Megan, wake up! It's morning!" I shouted, pulling Megan's curtains open.  
  
Megan was still asleep (how, I have no idea, Avery had woke just about everyone else up when she fell out of the bed), her hands gripping the blanket in a death grip.  
  
"Megan!" I shouted, shaking her.  
  
Megan screamed, causing the attention of everyone in the room to turn to her. She lept out of bed and ran to the window.  
  
"Megan?" I asked, "Are you alright?"  
  
She looked frantically out the window, and let out a sigh. She turned around, and smiled weakly.  
  
"I'm fine," she whispered.  
  
I nodded, and smiled, "First day of classes. Are you ready?"  
  
"As ready as I'll ever be," Megan answered.  
  
I grinned.  
  
"Come on, get dressed, we're going to be late for breakfast," I said, and went to see if I could wrestle Avery, Jewel, and Lucy away from the mirror for a split second.  
  
They handed out our schedules at breakfast.  
  
"We have Defense Against the Dark Arts first," I said, "With only Gryffindors."  
  
"Who's the teacher?" Harry asked from behind me.  
  
I turned around to see Harry, Ron, and Hermione standing behind me.  
  
"Late, are we?" I asked.  
  
"Oh, come off it, Erika. Who's the teacher?" Harry repeated.  
  
I looked down at the schedule, and read, "All it says is 'A. Jones'. Were they here last year."  
  
"Nope," Harry said.  
  
"That must be her, up there," Hermione said, pointing to a teacher, "Next to Flitwick."  
  
I didn't know who Flitwick was, but I followed Hermione's finger to a teacher with short black hair, wearing dark purple robes.  
  
"We don't have her until tommorrow," Ron said.  
  
"Tell us what's she's like," Harry instructed, and they went to leave.  
  
"Uh. Mr. Harry Potter?"  
  
We all turned to see Lucy standing up, obviously by the order of Avery and Jewel.  
  
"Yeah?" Harry asked.  
  
Lucy turned red, and said, "Er. Erika's been telling us that you're her brother."  
  
"So?" Harry asked.  
  
"Well, she's lying, right?" Lucy asked, "She is lying isn't she?"  
  
"No," Harry answered, "I'm her older brother."  
  
Lucy was speechless. Avery and Jewel's jaws dropped. Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked away.  
  
"Don't trust me, eh?" I asked, grinning at them.  
  
Silence.  
  
I laughed.  
  
Megan and I left breakfast early to see if we could find the classroom. It took us a while, but we figured it out. We were five minutes early.  
  
Professor Jones was already there, sitting at a desk in the room, just looking around. When we entered, she looked up.  
  
"Aren't you early?" she asked with a smile on her face.  
  
I felt strange, like I had seen her somewhere before.  
  
"We wanted to make sure we could find the class," I answered, and put a smile on my face.  
  
Her smile faltered, but she smiled back, "Well, you can sit wherever you like."  
  
She got out of her seat, and went up front. Megan sat down where she had been sitting, and I sat down next to her.  
  
A few minutes later, more students started to filter in, and took their seats, waiting for the class to begin.  
  
  
  
* * * Same time As told by Anya Jones  
  
I didn't think I could do it. I turned around to face the blackboard, and let out a deep breath.  
  
She was sitting in her seat. Erika, the daughter of my best friend, was sitting in my best friend's seat, her mother's seat.  
  
I could still remember when we were at Hogwarts, in this very classroom, talking, waiting for class to start. The boys throwing things around the room, us giggling at them. Now. they were gone, almost all of them. Lily, James, Andrea, Netta. only Remus I still talked to. Sirius, curse the name, was gone. Peter, too, was missing, said to be dead at Sirius' wand. It had recently been announced that Peter was alive, but they said nothing about Sirius. Curse him.  
  
  
  
* * * Same time As told by Erika Potter  
  
The chimes rang, and Professor Jones spun around on her heel, and smiled at us.  
  
She did look relatively young, compared to most of the other teachers I'd seen so far (mostly in the Great Hall). She smiled at us.  
  
"Alright, before we begin, I'm sure you all know that I'm your new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Jones. You lot must be the First Year Gryffindors," she said.  
  
We all looked at her.  
  
She sighed, and smiled again, "I was in Gryffindor, too, not long ago. But, besides that, in this classroom, I will teach you everything you need to know about defending yourself against dark curses, just in case you will ever need to."  
  
Everyone exchanged glances.  
  
"Alright, I hope everyone has at least looked through the books you were to buy for school," Professor Jones said, "Just to see where we are, I'm going to ask a few questions. Okay, who can tell me what a. limbergran is?"  
  
I searched my mind for any memory of limbergran in some of the books I'd started reading (either while sitting in Harry's closet, or otherwise).  
  
Limbergran. a potion. for. repeling?  
  
"Anyone?" Professor Jones asked, sitting down on her desk.  
  
I raised my hands.  
  
"Miss Potter?" Professor Jones called on me, not missing a beat.  
  
"It's a potion, for repeling," I said, not quite sure if I was right.  
  
Professor Jones nodded, "That's right."  
  
I sighed, and exchanged a relaxed look with Megan. We looked forward again, as Professor Jones asked more questions.  
  
We spent the rest of the class answering more questions and starting our first unit.  
  
"That was fun," I said, as we walked out of DADA, "What do we have next?"  
  
"Charms," Megan answered.  
  
Charms turned out to be pretty funny, since Avery, Jewel, and Lucy couldn't get over the fact that our teacher was half our size and had to stand on a stack of books to talk to us.  
  
  
  
"So, what's Professor Jones like?" Harry asked when Megan and I walked into the common room after dinner that evening.  
  
"She's cool," I answered, "And really nice."  
  
Megan nodded in response.  
  
"I hope so. Knight to E5," Ron said from where he was sitting on the floor, playing chess with Hermione.  
  
I watched as Ron's knight went over and knocked one of Hermione's pawns off the board.  
  
"Whoa," I whispered.  
  
"What?" Megan asked, then saw where I was looking, "Oh, wizard's chess."  
  
"It's not at all like normal chess," I said.  
  
Megan grinned, "No, it's not. I used to play, I haven't played in a long time, though."  
  
Hermione turned to look at us, "You can play against him, if you want. I've just about been beat."  
  
"She's a sore loser," Ron whispered.  
  
"I'll try," Megan offered, "I used to be really good at it."  
  
"Good luck, then. You'll need it. Ron's beaten just about everyone in the tower at this game," Hermione said, and stood up.  
  
  
  
It was getting late, and Ron and Megan were still playing chess. Neither had won yet.  
  
"How long will this take, Megan? I've done all my homework, and I'm starting to fall asleep," I compained from the armchair, "Nearly everyone's gone off to bed."  
  
"Not long, I've nearly got him," Megan answered, raptured in the game.  
  
"No, you don't," Ron protested, taking one of Megan's knights, "Ha. Now I have your knight. Completely missed that one, didn't you?"  
  
Megan grinned slyly, "Not at all. I knew you wouldn't be able to pass up the chance to steal my rook, which leaves your queen competely protectionless for my bishop to steal away."  
  
With that, she took his Queen.  
  
"Oh, come off it, you both," Hermione said, "I'm going up to bed."  
  
"Me too," I told them, "Before I fall asleep. And Megan, please don't wake me up when you come in."  
  
Megan nodded, and returned the game.  
  
I went upstairs and crawled into bed (Avery, Jewel, and Lucy were already asleep).  
  
I waited a few minutes for Megan, but she didn't come up.  
  
  
  
"How late were you up until?" I asked the next morning at breakfast, "I didn't hear you come in."  
  
"Oh, I was quiet, so I wouldn't wake you," Megan answered, and yawned, "But I beat him."  
  
"Really? How long did it take?" I asked.  
  
Megan thought for a second, "Until about three thirty."  
  
"Three thirty? Are you bloody mad?" I cried.  
  
"Not at all," Megan answered, "Just tired."  
  
"You'd better wake up. We have Potions first, with Professor Snape. From what Harry's told me, he's not the best choice to fall asleep in his class," I said.  
  
"Snape?" Megan looked up from her plate, "Did you say 'Snape?'"  
  
I sighed, "Yes, I did. Now, wake up!"  
  
Megan nodded.  
  
We got to the Potion's room (which was in the dungeon, and COLD) before the chimes, which was good. From what Harry told me, I decided to sit in the back. Megan gladly joined me (she looked just about ready to fall asleep).  
  
The door opened and a tall man strode into the room. The first thing I noticed was that he was dressed entirely in black, and his hair was greasy ("ugh!").  
  
He started calling role.  
  
"Dere, Megan!" he yelled.  
  
I looked over to Megan, who was staring out the window, her eyes wide.  
  
"DERE, MEGAN!" he shouted again.  
  
He walked up the isle, until he was standing in front of our table.  
  
"Well," he hissed, "The first lesson and the Potters and their friends are already getting in trouble."  
  
The Slytherins snickered.  
  
I poked Megan, who turned and looked forward at Snape.  
  
Suddenly, Snape looked like he'd been slapped. He looked at Megan, and his face got this strange look. He went pale, and let out a hissed breath.  
  
"Oh, sorry, professor," Meg said.  
  
He didn't respond. His eyes were wide, but he turned around and walked up to the front of the room.  
  
He left us alone. He didn't talk in much more than an undertone the entire time, and didn't criticize Gryffindors at all, no one lost points, no detentions, not even a reprimand.  
  
  
  
"He did what?" Harry asked when we told everyone at lunch.  
  
"He left us alone. It was so weird," I answered.  
  
Ron snorted, "Weird? Snape, not taking away at least ten points from Gryffindor is weird enough, but not criticizing anyone? That's even weirder."  
  
"He's not with the rest of the teachers," Hermione pointed out, "Look."  
  
We looked up at the head table. Sure enough, Snape's seat was empty.  
  
"Wonder where he is," Ron said.  
  
I sighed, and thought aloud, "Something about Meg really set him off."  
  
  
  
* * * Same time- The teacher's lounge As told by Severus Snape  
  
Her face was burning in my mind. I was filled with an unspeakable anger, that was set down by an even more unspeakable sorrow.  
  
"It wasn't her," I whispered, "It couldn't have been. It wasn't her."  
  
As if by an echo, another voice said the same words right after me. I looked up to see Anya Jones, that stupid girl who called herself a witch, standing in the doorway.  
  
"What?" I barked.  
  
"She's not who you think she is, Snape," Jones replied.  
  
"How could you know?" I asked, glaring at my old enemy.  
  
Anya sighed, "Be logical, Snape, not that you ever were. She's not who you think she is. She's competely innocent. She never did anything wrong, not to you, not to any of us."  
  
I turned my back. How could a stupid Gryffindor know anyway?  
  
  
  
A/N- confusing, I know. Don't worry, you all will get it eventually. But if you have questions tell me in a review, and I'll see if I can clear it up without giving away the story (which will be treading a thin line, so BEWARE!). If you don't like stories that don't exactly run straight with the book (mainly the whole thing with Harry having a sister), I'm asking you to still give this a try. But if this is too much for you, don't worry about it. But I hope you all liked this chapter. I sure liked it! Well, this was long enough. REVIEW!!!  
  
P.S.- I had a title suggestion for Lily and James' Legacy. If you like it, tell me in your review, and it may become the new title!  
  
Email me at StarlightEve111@aol.com if you have any questions, or just review!!! 


	6. Interrogations, Seeing, and Halloween Pa...

Author's Notes- back again. I'm writing this over a five-day weekend (YES!). I hope y'all will like this. I actually started writing the story like, three years ago. I stopped, and am no longer using that copy as the story because it is. er. not very good. But I hope you all liked the idea of the story. Anyways, I sound silly. There were A LOT of loose ends, but you'll get it all, eventually. By the way, Erika is 11 years old. Now, read and review, PLEASE!!!  
  
Summary- More on Snape, Erika's birthday, and the first part of Halloween (Halloween will be VERY important). By the way, Erika will be turning 11, actually, because, well, it makes no sense to have her turn 12 so early in her first year.  
  
Disclaimer- I own nothing. It all belongs to the Great Harry Potter people, and I am most certainly not getting paid.  
  
  
  
Erika  
  
  
  
Days went by. Snape was acting the same as before. He was ignoring everyone, barely teaching anything. He was often missing at meals, and once walked into his own class late (surprising just about everyone). All the Gryffindors, Ravenclaws, and Hufflepuffs (everyone but the teachers and Slytherins, basically), were happy with his new behavior.  
  
Halloween was sneaking up on us, which meant a lot of stuff to me, including my 11th birthday.  
  
One day we were sitting in History of Magic, trying not to fall asleep, when one of the prefects appeared in the doorway. We all turned around to watch, since, after all, it was a distraction from being forced to listen to Professor Binns drone on about something or another.  
  
"I'm to escort Megan Dere to the Headmaster's office right away," the prefect announced.  
  
Everyone turned to look at Megan. She put her things in her bag, and, with a nod from Professor Binns, stood to leave.  
  
"I'll see you later," I whispered as she passed me.  
  
She nodded, and sent me a weak smile.  
  
* * * Same time As told by Megan Alhide Dere Riddle  
  
"What does the Headmaster want to see me for?" I asked the prefect.  
  
"He didn't say," the prefect answered, looking straight ahead, "He just said he had to see you, and that it was important."  
  
I shivered. I didn't like the sound of that.  
  
We reached a statue, and the prefect stopped.  
  
"The password's 'taffy'," the prefect said.  
  
The statue rolled away to reveal a circular staircase. The prefect nodded towards the stairs, and I started walking up them. The prefect left, probably to go back to whatever class she'd been called away from.  
  
I appeared at the door to Dumbledore's office, and knocked quietly. It opened, and I saw Mr. Castem standing there.  
  
"Ah, Megan, there you are," he said, "Come in."  
  
I walked in to see Dumbledore sitting behind his desk. Professor McGonagall was standing off to the side, looking very unhappy. Some other man sat in a chair opposite Dumbledore.  
  
"Miss Riddle," Dumbledore said.  
  
Miss Riddle. Everyone in the room but Dumbledore and I shivered. Just the name "Riddle" brought fear to their eyes. I could see it as they watched me.  
  
"Miss Riddle," Dumbledore tried again, "This is our minister of magic, Mr. Fudge."  
  
"I'm very pleased to meet you, Minister," I said, nodding to him.  
  
He nodded back to me, but kept his piercing stare straight on me. I felt like a caged animal, with a sign "Dangerous" over me.  
  
"Please, Miss Riddle, sit down," Dumbledore told me, and motioned to the other chair.  
  
I slid into the seat, trying not to look at anyone. Mr. Castem moved to stand against the wall beside the door.  
  
"Miss. er. Riddle, you have agreed to speak with the ministry about your grandfather, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named," the minister said.  
  
I shut my eyes tight, and said through clenched teeth, "Don't call him that. It only adds fear. He loves it when people are afraid of him."  
  
The minister exchanged glances with Dumbledore.  
  
"All right, well, then, if you insist. Voldemort." the minister said.  
  
Mr. Castem let out a weak noise.  
  
For the first time, I really saw the fear that my grandfather had caused. Even men who worked for the ministry feared him beyond belief.  
  
"Are you still agreeing to those terms?" the minister asked.  
  
I nodded.  
  
"All right, then, I have a few questions for you. You told Mr. Castem that there were other children, other than you. Is that right?" he asked.  
  
I nodded.  
  
"How many?"  
  
I opened my eyes. I couldn't do it. I couldn't do it. I kept hearing Ruth's voice in my head. I hated her for being there. I saw her face looming in front of me.  
  
It was my turn to let out a weak noise. They all looked at me.  
  
"Well?" the minister asked, "We don't have time for this, little girl!"  
  
"Minister, may I speak with my student alone, for just a moment?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
"Dumbledore, we don't have time for this," the minister said, "If she won't talk, then we'll have problems."  
  
"Minister, please," Dumbledore said, calm and collected.  
  
"Fine, but only a moment," the minister answered.  
  
Mr. Castem, Professor McGonagall, and Mr. Fudge all trailed out of the room. Dumbledore stared at me through his glasses.  
  
"I can't do it, Dumbledore!" I cried, "I can't betray them!"  
  
Dumbledore stared at me, "Why not, Miss Riddle?"  
  
"I hate them, I hate them all, but I can't do it! They're. they're still my family!" I cried.  
  
Dumbledore nodded, solemnly, "Miss Riddle, I can not force you to say anything to them. But, think, Miss Riddle. Think of all the people they've killed, all the people they will kill if we don't get to them first. Think, think of your friend, Erika. They want her dead. They want her brother dead. They killed her family, almost all of her family. They want to kill you. They will betray you, if you don't betray them first."  
  
I sighed, and said, "Loyalty was one of the first lessons I was taught, loyalty to my grandfather, loyalty to my sister."  
  
"Yet they will betray you for their own selfishness, while we are asking you to betray them for others," Dumbledore pointed out.  
  
I nodded, and said, "I. I will do it, Dumbledore."  
  
Courage, I thought, is part of being a Gryffindor. If I can do this, I will have courage, the sign of the enemy.  
  
The minister, Mr. Castem, and McGonagall walked in.  
  
"Before you left, Minister, you asked how many children there were," I said, "I have the answer for you now. Besides me, there are twenty, my half-brothers, my half-sisters, and my full sister."  
  
The minister nodded, "Good."  
  
"My father had many mistresses, and one wife, my mother. He married her after my sister was named my grandfather's heir," I said.  
  
"Heir?" the minister asked.  
  
I nodded.  
  
"What's her name?"  
  
"Ruth," I whispered.  
  
* * * Later As told by Erika Potter  
  
"What was that all about?" I asked when Megan got back.  
  
"Nothing, Dumbledore just wanted to see me," Megan answered, "Do you want to play chess."  
  
"Sure, why not, I'll lose, anyway," I answered.  
  
We started setting up the chess board (Harry had lent me his set), when Harry walked in, followed shortly by Hermione and Ron.  
  
"How was Quidditch practice?" I asked.  
  
"Awful. We're missing like three players, the keeper, a chaser, and a beater," Harry answered. "We might have to move a few subs up."  
  
"Poor thing," I whispered, and stared at the chessboard.  
  
"Erika, bishop to B6," Ron called.  
  
My bishop moved and took Megan's rook.  
  
"Thanks, Ron!" I yelled.  
  
"You prat!" Megan shouted.  
  
"Hey, Erika, Megan, you two should try out for the team," Harry suggested.  
  
Megan shook her head, "Not me. I hate brooms."  
  
"I don't know how to play," I replied, and watched as Megan took my queen, "Shoot."  
  
"If you want to keep your pieces, strategize," Megan suggested.  
  
I stuck my tongue out at her, and Megan grinned.  
  
Then the grin disappeared. Her eyes when blank, and she didn't blink. It didn't even look like she was breathing.  
  
"Meg?" I asked, "Megan?"  
  
I reached over to shake her, and her face was cold.  
  
"MEGAN?" I cried.  
  
Everyone turned to look.  
  
"Harry, Hermione, Ron, something's wrong with Megan," I called.  
  
Hermione touched her wrist.  
  
"She has a pulse, but it's faint, I can hardly feel it. Let's get her to the Hospital Wing," Hermione said, and scooped her up.  
  
Ron and Harry went to follow us, but Hermione turned around.  
  
"Harry, Ron, you stay here. We'll be back in a second," Hermione ordered.  
  
Hermione and I walked down tot he hospital wing. Madame Pomfrey, the nurse, rushed over.  
  
"What happened?" she asked.  
  
"We were talking, and then she just, sorta, did this. It's like she's in a trance," I answered.  
  
Madame Pomfrey nodded, and said, "Set her down over here."  
  
Hermione sat her down on the indicated bed, and Madame Pomfrey started looking over her.  
  
"Go get the Headmaster," she told Hermione.  
  
Hermione nodded, and left me alone with Madame Pomfrey and Megan.  
  
"Will she be all right?" I asked.  
  
Madame Pomfrey nodded, and said, "She's not dead. She's alive. As soon as I find out what's wrong with her, I can help her."  
  
I nodded, and stared at my friend. Her eyes were shut, but she was pale, very pale.  
  
A few minutes later, Dumbledore rushed in. Behind him was Harry.  
  
"Headmaster," Madame Pomfrey said.  
  
"Poppy, would you excuse us for a moment? I would like to speak privately with Mr. and Miss Potter," Dumbledore said.  
  
"Headmaster, this patient needs my care," Madame Pomfrey protested.  
  
"Please, Poppy," Dumbledore said.  
  
Madame Pomfrey reluctantly left the room.  
  
"Will she be all right?" I demanded to know.  
  
"Miss Dere will be perfectly fine, Miss Potter. There is nothing for you to worry about. For now, I ask you merely to return to your common room. She will wake soon, and by tomorrow, she will be fine again," Dumbledore said.  
  
"Can't I stay with her until she wakes up?" I asked, "I just want to make sure she's okay."  
  
"I'm afraid not. Tomorrow morning, if she is not in breakfast, you are may come here to see her, if you wish. But when she wakes, I must talk with her, privately," Dumbledore answered.  
  
I nodded.  
  
"Mr. Potter, Miss Potter, please, return to your common room and get some sleep," Dumbledore said.  
  
We nodded, and left. I glanced back to see if I could catch a glimpse of the bed where my best friend lay, but I couldn't.  
  
* * * A few minutes later As told by Megan Alhide Dere Riddle  
  
I woke up short of breath, covered in sweat, and shaking. I sat up in the unfamiliar surroundings. I looked around me.  
  
"Ah, Miss Riddle, you're awake," Dumbledore said.  
  
I turned to see Dumbledore sitting beside the bed where I was sitting, watching me.  
  
"Where am I?" I asked.  
  
"The hospital wing. You scared Miss Potter, I'm afraid," Dumbledore answered, "Quite a bit. I sent her back up to the tower with her brother a few minutes ago."  
  
I nodded, remembering that one moment I was playing chess with Erika, the next. I was off again, seeing things.  
  
"You were Seeing, Miss Riddle," Dumbledore said.  
  
I nodded.  
  
"I'm afraid I don't know what to tell you, Professor. I can't really put everything together yet. Perhaps, next time it will be more clear," I said, while hoping desperately there would be no "next time."  
  
But I knew there would be.  
  
"Miss Riddle, do you want to talk about what you Saw?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
I nodded, "It was very strange, Professor, merely bits and pieces of it. Nothing whole."  
  
I shut my eyes, as if trying to remember. But I did remember. The memory burned in my head like a ton of burning coals.  
  
"I saw dead bodies," I said, "They looked young, but I'm not sure. Not all were dead, a few were stunned, a few were just knocked out. But some were dead. I know that. They were wearing robes. Hogwarts robes, I think. Next, I saw dark figures, many of them. All were wearing masks and dark robes. But. even with the masks, I knew one of them. It was my sister, Ruth. They're planning something, Professor."  
  
I then stopped, hesitating to tell him the next.  
  
"Go on," Dumbledore urged.  
  
I sighed, and whispered, "They're coming for me, Professor, I don't know when, but I know they'll try to take me."  
  
Dumbledore shut his eyes, then nodded. He then looked at me.  
  
"Well, there is nothing to worry about, Miss Riddle. Hogwarts is very safe. However, this episode will probably happen again. I think it is time to alert the staff that you are a seer," Dumbledore suggested.  
  
"That's okay, I suppose," I said, "Not the students, though?"  
  
"No, not the students. Unless they are put in danger, I see no need to tell them your own secrets," Dumbledore told me.  
  
I relaxed. I didn't want anyone to think me a freak. I'd had enough of that from my sisters and brothers. I didn't need it again.  
  
* * * The next morning As told by Erika Potter  
  
When I walked into the Great Hall the next morning, for breakfast, I looked around to see if Megan was out of the hospital wing. She was sitting at the table, in our usual spot, still pale, but otherwise, normal.  
  
"Megan, you're okay!" I cried, sitting down beside my friend.  
  
"Yeah, just short episode of sickness," Meg said, "Don't worry about it."  
  
I smiled, and changed the subject, "Halloween's coming up. This will be my first Halloween outside the orphanage."  
  
"Really? How old were you when you were brought to the orphanage, anyway?" Meg asked.  
  
"Three days old," I answered.  
  
Meg repeated in shock, "Three days?"  
  
I nodded.  
  
"The day after was Halloween," I said, "The day my parents were killed."  
  
"So you were only four days old when they died?" Meg asked.  
  
I nodded.  
  
"Well, where I come from, Halloween is very important. There were huge gatherings and." Meg stopped, and suddenly became very pale, as if remembering.  
  
"And what?" I asked.  
  
"Nothing, forget it," Meg answered, "Bacon?"  
  
"Sure," I said, and smiled.  
  
I turned back to my spot to see that a whole bunch of people from the Ravenclaw table watching me.  
  
I ignored them, figuring they probably weren't looking at me, and ate my breakfast.  
  
But then the same thing happened at lunch, and again, at dinner. Only at dinner more people were watching me. When we got back to the Common Room, I pulled Ginny aside (she was friendly with a few Ravenclaws).  
  
"Ginny, do you know why all those people were staring at me today?" I asked her.  
  
She nodded, and looked around, then whispered, "They think you're a dark witch."  
  
"WHAT?" I cried.  
  
She nodded again, "They think you've bewitched Harry, Ron, Hermione, Dumbledore, everyone into thinking you're his sister, just so you can do You-Know-Who's dirty work. They told me to keep my eye on you, and watch out, you might try to curse me."  
  
I shut my eyes and sighed.  
  
"You don't believe them, do you, Ginny?" I asked.  
  
Ginny shook her head, "You're too nice to be a dark witch. I told them that, but they don't believe me."  
  
I nodded, "Thanks Ginny. Thanks for everything."  
  
"Sure, anytime," Ginny said, and left to join her friends.  
  
I went up to my room, to find it empty, save Megan, who was reading on her bed. I fell onto my own, and sighed.  
  
"Meg," I said, not looking at my friend, "Do you think I'm dark witch?"  
  
"What?" Meg asked, looking up at me, shocked.  
  
I sat up to look at my friend.  
  
"A bunch of Ravenclaws think I am. They've been telling everyone that I am, and to be careful around me," I said.  
  
Meg shook her head.  
  
"Do you think I am?" I asked.  
  
"No, of course not. Trust me, if you were a dark witch, I'd know. Don't worry about it," Meg answered.  
  
"Thanks," I said, and smiled at my friend.  
  
* * * The Slytherin Common Room As told by Draco Malfoy  
  
Crabbe, Goyle, and a few other older Slytherins sat with me in a corner, discussing the news we were sending to our families, to deliver to our master.  
  
"That Potter girl, a dark witch?" I scoffed at some of the rumors, "She's not the type."  
  
"Of course not," someone else agreed.  
  
"What about that Dere girl?" someone said, "Something's not right with her."  
  
"Dere," I repeated, "The name sounds familiar. I'll write my father about it."  
  
In his last letter, he had told me to stay away from the Potters, as well as the Dere girl. He also told me that Professor Jones was not someone I should like. All of them, I guessed, were against us. Something at Hogwarts was not right, this I knew. But I had yet to find out what.  
  
* * * A few days later As told by Erika Potter  
  
"Happy Birthday, Erika!" Meg cried, pulling open my curtains, "It's October 28th, your birthday!"  
  
"If it's my birthday, let me sleep," I whispered.  
  
"No can do," Meg said, smiling at me.  
  
I looked up at her.  
  
"Do I have to?" I whined.  
  
"Yes, you do," Meg replied, "Now get up. It's a beautiful day!"  
  
I groaned, but got out of bed as told. All my dorm mates said happy birthday, which was very polite of them, and I stole the bathroom to get dressed.  
  
At breakfast, Harry and his friends made the point of wishing me happy birthday by sending Hedwig with a letter.  
  
"You'll get your present after dinner," Harry told me.  
  
Since it was Friday, we had no classes in the afternoon. Meg and I spent most of the evening outside. Harry had Quidditch practice, and I wanted to see just what Quidditch was. Meg was interested too. She told me she'd never really seen a game.  
  
"All the rubbish I've seen was full of cheating, nothing real," she told me as we walked through the stands trying to find the perfect seat (despite the fact that the stands were completely empty, except for Ron, who was actually standing on the field).  
  
"Where did you see it?" I asked.  
  
"Around," Meg answered.  
  
I'd gotten used to my asking questions and her not really answering. I knew she was hiding stuff, but I didn't really care all that much.  
  
We sat down, and looked up to the air. They were hovering, talking, I supposed. There were only a few of them. Like Harry said, three were missing, but there were a few subs.  
  
"Harry told us they're holding tryouts. The subs have to try out again, too," I said, "Then the two highest for each group will get chosen. The highest will play, the second highest will be the sub."  
  
Meg nodded, "Wonder who they'll recruit."  
  
I shrugged.  
  
"So, how's your birthday turned out so far?" Meg asked.  
  
"Best one I've ever had, really," I answered, "At the orphanage it was so impersonal. You were sung to at dinner, and that was about it. Too many kids, too many birthdays, you couldn't really do anything too personal."  
  
We walked back with Harry and Ron.  
  
"Erika, you should at least try out," Harry was telling me.  
  
"I'd rather focus on my classes in my first year. I mean, it won't be good if I'm failing something," I said.  
  
"But you aren't failing anything, are you?" Harry asked.  
  
I answered, "No, but that's beside the point."  
  
We walked into the tower to find Hermione waiting on the couch, doing homework.  
  
"There you four are. What took you?" she asked.  
  
"We asked Erika to try out for the team," Harry answered, throwing himself into the armchair.  
  
"What did you say?" Hermione asked.  
  
"I told him I'd rather focus on my classes," I answered, sitting down with Meg on the carpet.  
  
"A good answer," Hermione said, and smiled at me.  
  
Ron rolled his eyes, "Oh, come off it, Hermione. She's a good student, why not throw in a bit of Quidditch?"  
  
"Oh, come off it, both of you," Harry said.  
  
I guess he was used to their little arguments. A few minutes later, Harry, Meg, Hermione, and Ron were giving me presents.  
  
"Happy birthday, Erika," Meg said, and handed me her present, "I'm afraid it's not much. I don't have much pocket money."  
  
"Don't worry about it," I told her, and opened it.  
  
It was a Hogwarts: A History. Hermione made a bright face when she saw it, and Harry and Ron groaned.  
  
Ron and Hermione each got me a bunch of candy, and Harry gave me a book on Quidditch.  
  
"Maybe this'll change your mind," he said, "It's really interesting."  
  
"Thanks." I said, "They're really great. Thanks for everything, you guys."  
  
It was, in truth, the best birthday I'd ever had.  
  
The next morning, when Meg and I walked down to breakfast, Hermione got up to greet us.  
  
"Erika, I have something to show you," she said, "I can't believe I was so stupid. I got this days ago, just before all this rubbish about your being a dark witch started. I didn't look at it, I was too busy, but I took it out last night, and it all makes sense now."  
  
She handed me a copy of the Daily Prophet as Meg and I took our usual seats. I looked down. On the front cover was the headline "FRAUD AT HOGWARTS" and two pictures, one of Harry, and one of me.  
  
I started to read aloud, "Yet again, it has come to pass that most everyone's favorite hero, young Harry Potter, may be being deceived, writes Rita Skeeter, of the Daily Prophet. This current school year, a student was enrolled that goes by the name 'Erika Potter'. This 'Erika' claims to be Harry Potter's long-lost sister. The same Harry Potter who lost his parents tragically as a young child, the same Harry Potter who has saved the entire wizarding world from You-Know-Who countless times, the same Harry Potter who everyone agrees is an only child. So just who is this mysterious girl who claims to be another Potter? Sources say that she is truly a dark witch, sent to Hogwarts to do He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's bidding, and sent to kill the same person she claims to be related to. Our young hero, however, as well as the entire Hogwarts staff, seems to be under this young girl's spell. All believe she is who she says she is, Erika Potter. However, records all say that Lily and James Potter - the parents of our own Harry Potter - did, indeed, have a daughter, named Erika, who died shortly after birth, shortly before the death of the entire Potter family, save young Harry. Should we trust this scandalous fraud who has the entire school under her spell? No, and Harry Potter should be forewarned to watch out of the dark witch, whatever her plans may be.' That's a ton of rubbish!"  
  
"Erika, you're not a dark witch," Meg said.  
  
"Who wrote this?" I asked, "Who's this Rita Skeeter, and what does she have against me?"  
  
"Rita Skeeter doesn't have anything against anybody. But I do believe that she'll change her mind, very, very, soon. Don't worry, Erika," Hermione answered.  
  
"You don't think I'm a dark witch, do you?" I asked.  
  
"Of course not, only the gullible do. Don't worry about it, Rita Skeeter will take it back very soon," Hermione said, "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have something I must write."  
  
She went back to her normal seat, and I swung back to face Meg.  
  
"Well, that was interesting," I said.  
  
Meg smiled at me, "You're not a dark witch, Erika. Don't worry about it."  
  
Halloween came fast. Harry, Hermione, and Ron went into Hogsmeade during the day, so Meg and I stole Harry's set of exploding snap cards, and were playing with them.  
  
"Hah, I won again," I said after Meg's cards blew up in her hand.  
  
Meg rolled her eyes.  
  
"I can't believe its Halloween. It's supposed to be really cool here," I told Meg, shuffling the cards.  
  
Meg nodded, "I heard. It's great to be here, though. I wouldn't leave here at the end of term if I didn't have to."  
  
"Neither would I. Harry's been looking for an apartment. Him and Ron are going to get one together, and I'm coming to live with them. It's been then living with the Dursley's. Well, I've never actually met them, but I've heard them well enough to know they're not exactly the people who would except housing a niece they just found out existed," I told her.  
  
The portrait opened, and the students coming back from Hogsmeade came in, their faces red and windblown. We waved to Harry, Ron, and Hermione, who went up to their dorms to stow their stuff away, then came back down.  
  
"Ready for the feast?" Harry asked.  
  
We nodded, and stood up.  
  
The five of us walked out of the common room and towards the Great Hall.  
  
"You know, this is probably the calmest year I've had yet," Harry said, "What, with all the stuff that kept happening over the years."  
  
We grinned.  
  
"Harry was not lying when he said this place was awesome," I whispered to Meg as we glanced around at the Great Hall.  
  
It was beautiful. There were floating pumpkins with candles in them. The food was awesome. Every few feet of the table, there was a platter of candies, which everyone was helping themselves to.  
  
Meg nodded, "It is."  
  
She was really, really, pale, and I noticed that her hand shook when she held her silverware.  
  
"Are you okay?" I asked.  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine. Something just doesn't feel. oh, I don't know how to describe it. right," Meg answered, "But don't worry."  
  
I nodded.  
  
Soon, the plates were cleared, and Dumbledore had dismissed us. The doors to the Great Hall opened, and we all started filing out. I was talking to Meg when I heard someone scream.  
  
"DUCK!" another voice shouted over the crowd of students.  
  
Everyone turned to look. At the exact same moment, the front doors of the castle shattered into pieces, and fell all over the students.  
  
I dropped to my knees, covering my head. Meg was beside me, doing the exact same.  
  
"What's going on?" I shouted to her over the screams around us.  
  
"I don't know!" she cried.  
  
We looked up. Walking into the school through the gap where the doors should have been were people robed in black, with masks. Death Eaters.  
  
A/N- A bit of foreshadowing, but I think you'll forgive me. Coming up: a surprise for Halloween, and a whole bunch of explanations and stories. I hope you liked this chap. A whole bunch of you are confused, just, wait, hopefully everything will be cleared up soon (*coughs* next chapter *coughs*). Well, review! Buh-bye!  
  
Any additional comments can be given to me at StarlightEve111@aol.com  
  
Oh, yeah, this and the next chapter were uploaded together because ff.net was hating me. Hope you liked it. 


	7. Halloween Part II, Explinations, and a R...

Author's Notes- It's HALLOWEEN! Not really, but it is in here. This chap will be very important, so DON'T MISS IT! Well, Halloween happens, and some things are explained to Erika and co., yada yada. I think I should let you find out for yourselves. So, read on! Oh, yeah, the feast doesn't really matter to the plot.  
  
Disclaimer- I own nothing. It all belongs to the Great Harry Potter people. I am not getting paid. Y'all know the drill.  
  
  
  
Erika  
  
Chapter 6  
  
"Oh, no," Megan whispered.  
  
I was panicking. The teachers ran out.  
  
"EVERYONE INTO THE GREAT HALL!" one of them yelled, and the teachers drew their wands.  
  
I grabbed Meg's hand and started to push with the crowd of students all trying to get through the doors at the same time. People were dropping, I don't know if they were stunned or dead.  
  
I couldn't see my brother or his friends.  
  
I felt a tug on my arm and turned to see a spell send Meg flying back, hitting a statue and falling to the floor.  
  
"MEG!" I screamed, and ran to her.  
  
She was knocked out. I dragged her behind the statue, and slapped her to make her wake up.  
  
"Erika, we have to get into the Great Hall," Meg whispered, her eyes not completely opened.  
  
I shook my head, "We can't get through. They're too close. We're stuck here. We wouldn't make it."  
  
Meg started whimpering, and whispering to herself, so quietly I couldn't even hear her.  
  
"It's happening, they've come," was all I could make out from her whispers and whimpers.  
  
I held her hand, and didn't look out, hoping it would end quickly.  
  
Suddenly, the statue burst into pieces, sending us skidding backwards and hitting the stairs. Pain burned all over my body.  
  
I opened my eyes, a bit blurry with tears, and saw a Death Eater in a cape and hood standing in front of us. Meg was crying something.  
  
"Ruth, please no!" she cried.  
  
She could see the Death Eater's face. And she knew who it was.  
  
"ERIKA!" I heard Harry yell from somewhere.  
  
"Stupefy!" I heard another voice shout.  
  
The Death Eater fell to the ground. Professor Jones ran over to us.  
  
"Quick, get into the Great Hall. They're starting to retreat!" she hissed to us, and helped us up.  
  
I grabbed Meg's hand and we ran as we heard someone wake the Death Eater up. When we were in the Great Hall, Meg and I sank into a corner, and didn't move until Harry came to get us.  
  
"They're gone," he told us.  
  
I sighed in relief.  
  
"Come on, get up, you two. Professor Dumbledore wants us to go to his office. He'll meet us there after he calms everyone else down," Harry said.  
  
We went upstairs, and to a statue. Professor Jones was standing beside it.  
  
She said something to the statue, which jumped aside to reveal a staircase.  
  
We followed her upstairs, and through a door.  
  
"Dumbledore should be here soon," she told us, but her voice wasn't straight.  
  
Both Meg and Professor Jones looked incredibly pale. I imagined I must look so too. I was still shaking.  
  
The door behind us opened, and Dumbledore walked in, looking incredibly troubled.  
  
"Miss Potter, Mr. Potter, Miss Dere, I have some important matters to discuss with you," Dumbledore told us.  
  
Meg interrupted him, "I didn't tell them."  
  
Dumbledore gazed at her, then nodded, "Well, I think it is time they know, then, Miss Dere."  
  
"Take a seat," Professor Jones said, pulling four chairs over.  
  
We all sat down. Meg sighed, her head hanging.  
  
"I haven't been completely truthful with you. Please don't hate me for what I'm about to tell you," Meg said.  
  
I stared at her.  
  
"I was born Megan Allhide (Allhide is pronounced Al-hide) Riddle, in a dark mansion. My birth was greatly anticipated. From day 1 I was taught the Dark Arts along with the others. But I was different.  
  
"I had an older sister. She's about Harry's age, maybe a bit older. Her name was. is. Ruth. We weren't the only children. There were 21 of us, myself included. My grandfather wanted an heir. His son, my father, had 6 mistresses, and my mother, his wife. They are all valuable Death Eaters, and have sworn their lives to the cause, my grandfather's cause.  
  
"But Ruth was the best among us, my grandfather's heir, higher than my father, second in command.  
  
"Once, when I was younger, I found a rabbit on the grounds. It was my only friend. Ruth killed it. 'It's a worthless animal, just like Muggles and Mudbloods,' she said. I was old enough to understand that killing was final, there was no coming back once you were dead. I knew my rabbit did nothing. I started to see the killing I had been taught was right since I was born, was wrong. That's when I changed.  
  
"From then on, I stopped going to classes, and spent time in my hide- out, playing chess. That's how I got so good. Sure, everyone hated it, I was punished so much. The Crucio curse was put on me countless times, and the Imperio curse. They would make me hurt myself, or hurt others because they knew I hated it. So, when I saw the chance, I escaped. I went to the Ministry, and asked for help.  
  
"During the attack earlier, my sister was there. She found Erika and me. We were lucky. We escaped. But I felt so bad. I was so naïve, to think they wouldn't come after me. They want me dead, now! They want us all dead!  
  
"Another confession must be made on my part. I scared you the other day, Erika, when I went weird in the common room. I never told anyone, I even denied it myself, until I got to the Ministry. I'm a Seer. Sometimes I go into trances, but mostly I See in my sleep. I never told anyone but Dumbledore, and the Ministry. I only told them because it was my key to get out. As long as they knew, I could help them, I could help stop my grandfather," Meg told us.  
  
Once the speech was over, I stared at my best friend. Meg was the granddaughter of Voldemort, the same person who had killed my parents. At first I was so angry, I wanted to strangle her. Then I looked at her again. She was crying.  
  
"It's. it's okay, Meg. It's not your fault that you have such an awful family," I whispered.  
  
Meg only nodded, still crying.  
  
"Now, Miss Jones, I belief it is time for your confession as well," Dumbledore said, turning to Professor Jones.  
  
Another confession?  
  
"I admit it," Professor Jones said, "I am here not only to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts, but for you. Dumbledore thought of it. We know Voldemort is after you, and he's after me as well. So, I'm here.  
  
"I am all that is left of four best friends. There was Andrea McKinnon, Netta Prewett, and Lily Evans, or, as she is better known Lily Potter. Voledmort killed each of them. I was one of the few who knew of Erika's birth. Lily begged me, that if anything happened to her, I'd look after you two. So, I spent the last few years, just looking in on you. I felt obliged to. I'd promised my best friend, and I couldn't go back on it. But, I also had to because. well. Erika, I'm your godmother."  
  
I gasped. Never, in my entire life, had I known I had a godmother. Ever.  
  
"Well, I think that's quite enough for a day. Now, you'd best go straight to your rooms, and tell no one about what was said today. That is between us," Dumbledore said.  
  
We nodded, and left. That night I heard Meg crying in her sleep, not that I was much better.  
  
Everyone in the school had some opinion about the attack the next day. Everyone, that is, except Harry, Meg, and I. We kept our mouths shut, however.  
  
Only two students were dead, a sixth year Ravenclaw and fifth year Hufflepuff. There was a memorial service, and everyone in the school attended, and some others.  
  
But life went on. Classes continued. Rumors still flied when everyone thought the Professors weren't looking. The professors were also very careful, watching everyone, especially Harry, Meg, and I.  
  
"I'll play you at chess," Meg said when we finished our homework a few nights later.  
  
"I'm going to lose," I answered as we set up the chessboard.  
  
Meg grinned, "Maybe I'll let you win."  
  
"You never let me win," I countered, but grinned.  
  
After I had lost a rather quick game of chess, Meg and I decided to go down to the Quidditch pitch, where Harry was having practice. Hermione and Ron were already down there. Hermione was doing her homework, while Ron was watching them.  
  
"Hello," we said as we sat down.  
  
"Erika, Megan, have you decided to try out or not?" Ron asked.  
  
Hermione rolled her eyes.  
  
"Try outs are next week, so they have time to start training. This year, the first game is Slytherin vs. Hufflepuff, and Harry wants the new recruits trained by then, so he knows just what he needs them to do," Ron said.  
  
I shrugged. A shadow fell over us. Hermione looked up.  
  
"Oh, hello, Hagrid," she said.  
  
A giant man stood behind us.  
  
"'Ello, Hermione, Ron. How's practice coming?" Hagrid asked.  
  
"Fine. Hagrid, this is Erika Potter and Megan Dere. Erika's Harry's sister, and Megan's her friend," Ron said, introducing us.  
  
"Ah, 'ello there, girls. You two must be the rumors of the school," Hagrid told us, smiling.  
  
"Rumors?" Meg repeated.  
  
Hagrid nodded, "Yep. They think we can't hear them, but I hear them well enough. They talk about you two. Harry's supposed to be an only child, but suddenly Erika shows up. I trust Dumbledore, however. If he believes, so do I."  
  
"Not that again," I cried, "Will they ever listen to me? Probably will still be avoiding me when I graduate!"  
  
"What do they say about Megan?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Ah, about the. er. attack on Halloween. They say she was talkin' to one of those Death Eaters," Hagrid said, and shivered.  
  
Meg rolled her eyes, "They make it sound like I was holding a pleasant chat when I was really begging for my life!"  
  
"Rumors are rumors," Hermione said, "They can think what they like. I pity them, for thinking they know so much and really know so little. Erika, I researched that charm your parents used to get you in the future. It does exist, it's just really hard. I think Dumbledore must have done it, not them."  
  
I shrugged.  
  
* * * That night As told by Anya Jones  
  
"Professor? You asked to see me?" I asked, walking into Dumbledore's office.  
  
"Yes, Miss Jones. I have something I want to show you," Dumbledore told me, standing up.  
  
I raised an eyebrow.  
  
"What?" I asked.  
  
Dumbledore answered, "Come over here."  
  
He led me to a fireplace. A fire had been lit in it. He took out a pot of floo powder, and handed some to me.  
  
"Go to the 'Transformation shack,'" Dumbledore instructed.  
  
I was a bit quirked, but I did as told. I put the floo powder in the fire, and shouted the destination, before stepping in.  
  
I fell of in a hearth, and pulled away from the fire. A second later, Dumbledore followed. He landed on his feet. I stood up, brushing the dirt, dust, and soot off my robes.  
  
I looked around me. We were standing in a dark room. I could make out a few lumps in the room, which I guessed were furniture, but that was it.  
  
"Where are we?" I asked.  
  
Dumbledore didn't answer. Instead, he turned in a direction.  
  
"We're here!" he shouted, "Come out, it's just me."  
  
The lights in the room switched on. A figure walked into the room. I let out a gasp.  
  
"Remus!" I cried.  
  
"Oh, hello, Anya," Remus told me, "It's been awhile. How are you?"  
  
"I'm fine. What about you?" I asked.  
  
"All right, I suppose," Remus answered.  
  
"Remus, Anya's been working at the school. Where's." Dumbledore started, but Remus interrupted.  
  
"Oh, he'll be right down," Remus answered.  
  
"Who?" I asked.  
  
Then, another figure appeared in the doorway. I gasped. I felt like I was on fire. I stepped back, and tripped over the hearth, and fell back. He took a step forward.  
  
"Si. Si. SIRIUS!" I screamed.  
  
"Anya," Remus said, moving forward.  
  
In an instant, I stood up, and ran across the room. I wanted to rip every bone from his body. I wanted to kill him. I wanted him to suffer.  
  
But I didn't get that far. Remus grabbed my arms, and pulled me away. Sirius stepped forward.  
  
"I HATE YOU!" I screamed, "YOU BETRAYED US! YOU. YOU. KILLED LILY AND JAMES! I HATE YOU!!!! HOW DARE YOU COME BACK? HOW DARE YOU!"  
  
"Anya," Remus said, "ANYA! Calm down!"  
  
"Miss Jones, please, stay calm," Dumbledore told me, moving forward, "Sirius didn't do anything. He was framed."  
  
"Framed?" I spat, "By who? The milk man?"  
  
No one looked even a bit amused.  
  
"Peter Pettigrew," Dumbledore answered simply.  
  
I stared at him, and stopped struggling.  
  
"Peter?" I repeated, "Peter? Weak, stupid, Peter?"  
  
Dumbledore nodded.  
  
"At the last minute, I talked Lily and James into making Peter they're secret keeper instead. I told them I'd be the obvious choice. Peter, however, was the last person you'd think they'd choose. So, they used Peter. And he betrayed them," Sirius said, staring at me.  
  
I couldn't look him in the eye. I couldn't.  
  
This was all too fresh to me. Like it was only yesterday when I went to see Lily and found them dead.  
  
Sure, Dumbledore had told me tons of times that Sirius wasn't to blame. But I'd never believed him. But now. I was staring straight at Sirius Black, the person I hated most in the world, well, next to Voldemort.  
  
"He didn't do it, Anya," Remus said.  
  
I glared at Sirius. But my gaze softened.  
  
"I never should have told them to use Peter, Anya. If I hadn't, they'd still be alive," Sirius told me.  
  
It was an assurance as well as a statement. I could almost hear him say it. I would never betray them. Ever.  
  
I started crying, and struggled from Remus' grip, and walked over to Sirius. I wrapped my arms around him, and hugged him.  
  
"Sirius." I whispered, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."  
  
* * * The next morning As told by Erika Potter  
  
We were sitting at breakfast, when the doors to the Great Hall opened, and a man walked in. His robes looked old and torn, as did the man himself, but he smiled and carried himself well.  
  
Everyone was giving him weird looks, especially the sixth and seventh years.  
  
Hermione nudged Harry, who looked up. His eyes grew wide, and he jumped up.  
  
"Professor Lupin!" he said.  
  
The man turned, and looked in Harry's direction. Then he walked over to us, smiling.  
  
"Harry, Hermione, Ron. How are you all?" he asked.  
  
Then he looked past them, to Meg and I. He smiled again.  
  
"You must be Erika and Megan. I've heard quite a bit about you from Dumbledore," the man said.  
  
We nodded.  
  
"Professor Lupin, what are you doing here?" Hermione asked.  
  
"I'm here to talk to Dumbledore. Snuffles - Sirius - and I have been staying in the Shrieking Shack. Dumbledore's been gradually taking the professors to see Snuffles. He says if they're all going to fight together, they have to understand that some of us are innocent. I must say, it's been funny a bit of the times. Professor Sinistra nearly jumped into Dumbledore's arms, screaming. Professor Trewlaney was going crazy, predicting stuff. Most of it was stupid," Professor Lupin answered, "Last night, however, was interesting. They brought Anya - er. Professor Jones - to see Snuffles. She hated him. She was yelling, tried to attack him. Then she finally forgave him. Said she'd never believed it was him. Said he was never the type."  
  
Ron was confused, and asked, "They knew each other before all this?"  
  
Professor Lupin nodded, and answered, "At one point in time, it seems so long ago, they were in love."  
  
  
  
A/N- short, I know. But, that's enough of that. First step to Sirius and Anya getting back together for all of you who want them to. Anya finally forgave Sirius. Well, that's TWO chapters up at the same time! FF.net keeps screwing up on me, so I don't know when I'll get these up. A whole bunch of confessions, and now everyone's on the same page. almost. Well, that's all for now. Thanks to everyone who reviewed, you guys are the best. Thanks to everyone who's going to review. You rock. Now, make yourself rock, and go review!!!  
  
Additional comments can be sent to me at StarlightEve111@aol.com  
  
Thanks a ton for everything! Stay tuned for the next chap! Happy Holidays! 


	8. Apartments, Seers, and Evil Slytherins

Author's Notes- Hey all! Thanks to everyone who reviewed. You guys are the best. Anyways, hoped you liked the last two chaps, I hope you like this one too! I have a week off from school, so let's see how much I can get done of this. Oh, yeah, HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!  
  
Disclaimer- I don't own a thing. It all belongs to the great Harry Potter people.  
  
  
  
Erika  
  
  
  
I stared at Professor Jones as she went through the lesson. She was my godmother. Wow. Talk about hard to believe. Then what that man - Professor Lupin - had said at breakfast this morning, I knew it was a shocker. Everyone had been really surprised. It might have helped if I had known who that Sirius Black character they were talking about was. Maybe then I would have understood why this was so strange.  
  
The bell rang, and everyone stood to go to their next class. We had History next, so we started that way.  
  
"Meg," I said, "Who's Sirius Black?"  
  
Meg looked around, to make sure no one had heard, then said, "He's a wanted convict."  
  
"What?" I cried, surprised.  
  
"They sent him to Azkaban - the wizard prison, and possibly one of the most feared places for wizards in the world - for betraying your parents to Voldemort, and for killing one of your parent's friends," Meg told me, "He was innocent, of course. He had been framed for both. The person who had actually betrayed your parents was the person Sirius Black was said to have killed. But he didn't kill him, either, I don't know what he did, but he didn't die. He's a servant to Voldemort right now. Ruth and my father hate him. They think he's a weakling that doesn't belong in Voldemort's service.  
  
"Anyways, about Sirius Black, a few years ago, he escaped Azkaban, which just about threw most of the wizarding world out of wack. The ministry never caught him. I dunno what happened to him," Meg finished.  
  
I shrugged, "Why is it so bad that Professor Jones was in love with him? He is innocent, right?"  
  
"Sure, he's innocent. But most people don't know that yet. Dumbledore's been trying to reopen his case for years. But the ministry keeps refusing, and Dumbledore doesn't want to tell them he knows where he is, or else they'd come after him, right? So people still hate him, still fear him," Meg explained.  
  
We reached the classroom, and took our seats, ready for another boring History lesson.  
  
  
  
Snow started falling that weekend. It lightened just about everyone's spirits because Christmas was coming. But it was also getting incredibly cold.  
  
Meg and Ron were playing chess again (we told them they had to keep the game less than an hour this time), while I did my homework with Hermione, and Harry read some stuff on Quidditch. I'd promised him that the next year, I'd try out for the team. That made him happy, since he promised to show me how to play over the summer.  
  
There was a tapping on the glass, and we all looked up.  
  
"Harry, it's Hedwig," Hermione said, then turned back to her books.  
  
Harry got up, and we all went back to whatever we were doing. Once Hedwig was on her way back to the Owlery, Harry sat back down.  
  
"Ron, it's from your brothers, Fred and George," Harry said.  
  
"Really, what did they say?" he asked, followed by a curse (which I won't repeat).  
  
Meg had stolen his queen. She was grinning.  
  
"They told us they found a few apartments we might like, in London," Harry told him.  
  
"London? That's where I'm looking, too," Hermione said.  
  
I raised an eyebrow, "Apartments?"  
  
"Yeah. You don't want to have go back to the Dursley's, do you?" Harry asked, "Me, you, and Ron are going to share an apartment. You'll be at Hogwarts most of the time, though."  
  
I shrugged, "I suppose it's better than an orphanage or the Dursley's."  
  
Not that I'd ever met them, but they did look like the friendly-type. . . or sound like it for that matter.  
  
"What are you guys going to do?" I asked, "For a job, I mean?"  
  
"Joining the ministry," Ron answered.  
  
"What department?" Meg asked.  
  
"I dunno yet," Ron answered.  
  
Meg and I exchanged looks.  
  
"Well, your brothers say that we can come back to the Burrow and look at apartments from there," Harry read, "Over Christmas break."  
  
"All right then. Hah, I just stole your rook. Your little plan's not going to work so well without it," Ron said, grinning at Meg.  
  
She smiled, and said, "Check and mate. Better pay attention, there."  
  
He scowled.  
  
"Erika, you can come if you want," Harry told me, "I'm sure Mrs. Weasley wouldn't mind having you."  
  
"Nah, I'll stay here with Megan. Just. don't get a bad apartment," I warned him.  
  
  
  
The last Hogsmeade weekend before break started. Harry, Ron, and Hermione (as well as most everyone else in the castle above third year) went to Hogsmeade. Meg and I, incredibly bored (I'd refused an offer to play chess and lose), went down to the library. Meg started looking at a few books while I messed around with one of the thick encyclopedias on magic.  
  
"What's that about?" I asked when Meg came back, holding two books in her hands.  
  
"Nothing. Come on, let's go back to the tower. I just saw Avery and her gang. We'll have the room to ourselves, none of their squawking or gossiping," Meg said.  
  
I grinned.  
  
"Do you know that they are still avoiding me?" I asked, "I think it's kinda funny, really. I dunno why, though. I don't know if they buy the rumor that I'm a dark witch, or if it was the whole incident with Harry and my being his sister."  
  
Meg laughed, "Don't worry about it."  
  
I threw myself on my bed, and started looking at the Daily Prophet (which I had stolen/borrowed from Hermione to do my Christmas shopping). Meg sat her books down on her bed.  
  
I glanced at them when she wasn't looking, and looked up at her strangely.  
  
"Meg, why are you reading Seers Through A Century: An Archive and Seeing: A Skill?" I asked.  
  
Meg looked up at me, and gave me a look.  
  
"Just, interested, that's all," she said, and gave me a smile.  
  
I nodded, and went back to the ads I was looking at. Then it clicked.  
  
"Meg," I called, turning to look at her, "You're a seer, aren't you?"  
  
She answered, "Why would you think that?"  
  
I shrugged, and replied, "Well, you're always reading about them. And there was that one time you completely freaked me out and went into that trance. It just fits, that's all."  
  
"You. You aren't freaked out?" Meg asked.  
  
"No, I think it's kinda cool," I answered, "Being able to see the future."  
  
Meg sighed, "It's not all 'cool'. Sometimes, it really, really, stinks. So, yeah, I'm a seer. No one except you, the ministry, and the teachers know. Don't tell anyone, promise?"  
  
I nodded, "Of course. Just, if you ever 'see', or whatever you call it, about me, tell me. 'Kay?"  
  
Meg agreed, "I haven't seen anything about you, yet. But I probably will."  
  
I shuttered, "Okay, I change my mind. That's a bit freaky."  
  
"Wait, and if I ever go into a trance again, just leave me. You don't need to send me to the infirmary, or any thing. I'll come out of it soon enough," Meg said.  
  
"Deal."  
  
  
  
* * * A few days later As told by Draco Malfoy  
  
"Found it," I told my friends, sitting in the Slytherin Common Room.  
  
"Found what?" one of them asked.  
  
I held up a piece of parchment that Father had sent me earlier. I grinned. Finally, I knew the truth.  
  
"Remember how we said that Gryffindor's name sounded familiar, 'Dere', was it?" I asked, "I found out where. I wrote my father about it. He just wrote me back."  
  
"What does it say?" one of the 5th year girls asked.  
  
"The one who goes by Megan Dere is really going by an alias. Her true name is Megan Riddle, and she is the granddaughter of our master, Voldemort. Her sister is our master's heir, Ruth. Her father is our master's son. She escaped from them, and ran to the ministry. They put her in Hogwarts, under the so-called protection of Dumbledore. Voldemort plans for her death by the end of the year. She took the alias 'Dere' from her mother, Lauren Dere, thinking no one would recognize it, as her mother attended Durmstang. You are not to harm Megan Riddle. Her death is in the hands of Ruth Riddle, by orders of Voldemort," I read.  
  
We all grinned in success.  
  
"Voldemort's granddaughter, a Gryffindor?" someone said, laughing, "How pathetic."  
  
"And friends with Potter and his friends, on top of that. Tsk, tsk, how pathetic," I agreed.  
  
As everyone laughed, I thought to myself: this was too good to be true. I knew something I was sure she would want no one else to know.  
  
* * * The next day As told by Erika Potter  
  
  
  
Meg and I were walking down to the Great Hall for breakfast, when we heard something behind us.  
  
I turned around.  
  
It was Draco Malfoy and his friends/body-guards, Crabbe and Goyle. Harry had told me about them. They were Slytherins. They hated me.  
  
"Well, well, well, if it isn't Erika Potter and her friend, Megan Dere," Draco Malfoy said, "Or should I say Riddle?"  
  
Meg gasped.  
  
He knew.  
  
"I know your little secret there. But I'm not going to tell anyone. The Dark Lord has plans for you," he said, "And for your little friends. You're lucky, or else I would have cursed you right now. You pathetic Gryffindor."  
  
He walked past us, and I turned to Meg, whose face had gone paper white.  
  
"Meg, are you okay?" I asked.  
  
"How did he find out?" Meg whispered, "How?"  
  
I shrugged, "He said he wouldn't tell anyone. We can be thankful for that, at least."  
  
Meg nodded, then sighed.  
  
"I hate this, Erika. I hate who everyone thinks I am. Just because of my last name," Meg whispered.  
  
I nodded, "I don't hate you Meg. And your grandfather killed my parents. I don't hate you. They're just a bit dense, that's all."  
  
Meg grinned, "Dense?"  
  
I grinned back, "Yep. Come on, I'm starving. Let's go to breakfast."  
  
  
  
A/N- short, I know. Christmas is the next chapter, and you learn something a bit more. The wizarding world is not as easy as it seems, especially for a few potions teachers (hehe). Anyways, I hope you liked this. Nothing much new in here. Draco knows about Meg. yada yada. Anyways, I hope I'll get the next chap up ASAP. Review, please!  
  
Any additional comments can go to me at StarlightEve111@aol.com  
  
REVIEW!!! 


	9. The Truth About Snape

A/N- last chapter was a shortie, but this one will be very significant. Yet again, this is one you guys might not believe. But I hope you like it anyways. I hope you guys like this story so far (I haven't got a negative review yet!). In this chapter, which I think I will title "The Truth About Snape", you will learn just why Snape is treating the Gryffindors well, and so on. Oh, yeah, point: Ruth is actually older than Harry by a few years. Yeah, thanks. Read and review!  
  
Disclaimer- I own this much: 0. As in zero. As in nothing. It all belongs to the great Harry Potter people.  
  
Read on!  
  
  
  
Erika  
  
  
  
Christmas break came. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were all going home, and Gryffindor tower was going to be virtually empty (Meg and I both thought it had something to do with the Halloween occurences). Avery, Jewel, and Lucy were going home too, which was good (they're talking late in the night was getting ANNOYING). The day they left, Meg and I decided to leave the tower and wander around (hoping not to get lost). It was something to do, and we still didn't quite know our way around the vast castle. We weren't quite sure WHERE we were an hour later, and we were leaning against the wall, trying to figure out which way we came (through what door, which hallway, and so on), or hoping someone would find us. We heard footsteps coming down through the hall. "Somebody's coming!" Meg hissed. I nodded, "Hopefully they can show us the way back to the tower. This is the last time I ever go down a corridor that I don't know." Meg grinned. The footsteps drew closer, and we turned to see Professor Jones standing there, smiling at us. "Megan, Erika, you're a bit of a ways from the Gryffindor tower," Professor Jones said, smiling at us. I shrugged, "Well, we decided to go for a walk, try to figure out more of the castle." "And we got lost," Megan finished. Professor Jones nodded, "Happens to everyone. Why don't you two join me in my office for a cup of tea, then I can show you back to the tower?" Meg and I exchanged glances, and nodded, "Okay, sure." I was actually very eager to hear about Professor Jones' friends, mostly my mum. "Great." she said, and looked at her watch, "Allright, come over here." We walked over to stand beside her, and watched as a staircase suddenly appeared in front of us. "How did you know it was going to do that?" I asked. "At six minutes past every hour, this staircase appears. Did you forget who I was friends with?" she asked, and grinned at us. I was sure she was talking about my parents. Harry had told me our dad was what they called a "Marauder" and had constantly been getting into trouble. We went up the stairs, and followed Professor Jones down quite a few hallways, until I realized we were in fimilar territory. Professor Jones led us into her office. "Sit down, I'll go start the tea," she said, and hurried into the room. Meg and I sat down on some chairs, and looked around. It was comfortably furnished. There was a few pictures hanging on the wall. I went over to look at one. It was four girls, that looked just a little older than me. I reckognized one as Professor Jones, only a younger version of herself. The three others I had never met. "They're my best friends," Professor Jones said behind me, "That one's Netta Prewett. She always took the pictures. It's because of her I have so many of us. She was a photographer. That one's Andrea McKinnon. She had the most fashion sense out of all of us, and was constantly telling us that what we were wearing was all wrong for us. And that one's Lily Evans Potter, your mother." I stared at the picture. Harry had showed me some pictures of our parents when they were older, but I had never seen a picture of her that young. Her hair was short, and red, and she was smiling. "This was in our second year," Professor Jones said. "Professor Jones." I stared. "Call me Anya, please," Professor Jones interuppted smiling at me. I nodded, and started again, "Okay, then. Anya, what was my mother like, when you knew her?" "She was the best friend anyone could have asked for. She was very smart, but really nice. She was a lot of fun to be around," Anya told me. When we had sat down to drink the tea, Anya asked us how we liked school here so far. "Harry told me that Professor Snape hates us because of Mum and Dad, right?" I asked. Anya laughed, "Yes. We were quite evil to him in school, not that he didn't deserve it or anything, of course." "He's not mean to us anymore," Meg pointed out, "Ever since that first day, when he saw me, he stopped." I nodded, "That's right, isn't it? Anya, do you know why he's not so evil to us anymore?" Anya looked at us, back and forth, "Do you really want to know?" We nodded. "Alright, but you have to promise you won't tell anyone, okay? This is Snape's business," Anya said. "We promise," Meg and I agreed. "Okay, then. Well, I suppose I should start from the beginning. Snape was always mean to the Gryffindors because he hated them, he always has, but he was especially evil them because of my friends and I. After he got out of Hogwarts, however, he got married, as usual. He had a wife and a three year old daughter - I believe her name was Ariea, or something like that. Anyway, after Voldemort's downfall, a very important Death Eater decided that Snape was a spy, which he was. Without telling anyone, that Death Eater and a few others, when and attacked Snape's house nine years ago. He wasn't there at the time, but they killed his wife and daughter. They said it was a warning, and that they would be back. They never figured out who it was, and Snape never fully recovered," Anya explained. "Wow," Meg whispered, in shock. Suddenly, a thought occurred to me, and I asked, "Meg, does your sister look a lot like you?" Meg nodded, "Yeah. If she were my age, we'd be idenical." Then my thought struck her. "No . . . you don't mean . . ." Meg started. "Ruth was a murderer, right?" I asked. "Yeah, she killed tons of people," Meg answered, "You don't think it was Ruth, do you?" "It has to be, it all fits," I said. Meg nodded, "She is perfectly capable." "Girls, you've found your answer," Anya said. We finished up our tea, and said bye to Anya, then went back up to the tower before dinner. "We don't tell anyone," Meg said, "Even though Snape hate's us, we won't tell anyone. Okay?" I nodded, "No one."  
  
On Christmas Eve, Meg and I wasted the entire day. I actually talked her into letting me sleep in until nine (a huge accomplishment, trust me). We played chess, Exploding Snap, and talked. The tower was basically empty (due, in some part, to the Halloween attack). We went down to the library to look at the copies of the Daily Prophet and Witch Weekly (Hermione had left, along with her subscriptions). "Hey, Erika, look, they have something on the Halloween attack," Meg said, and handed me the Daily Prophet. I read it, and said, "They mention you, Meg." Meg looked down and read it, then scowled. "Will anyone get it through their head that I was NOT holding a polite little conversation with a Death Eater?" Meg asked, then threw the paper aside. I looked through some more. "There's an article about you, again," Meg told me, and handed me a recent copy of Witch Weekly. I took it, and read it. "This can't be good. It's written by Rita Skeeter," I said, and scowled. I read it, and was surprised. She actually hadn't said anything that incredibly bad about me. Just that Dumbledore, as well as the Minister of Magic, had come out and said that I was not a dark witch and, indeed, was Harry's sister. "Surprising," Meg said. "Very," I agreed, and then looked down at my watch, "Shoot, it's almost eight. If we're caught in the halls after nine, we'll be in huge trouble, and I have to go up to the owlery."  
  
The next morning, I woke up early. I rolled over in bed, and looked up at the window. Frost rested on it, but rays of sunshine still snuck in. "Meg," I hissed, "Meg, wake up, it's Christmas." Meg groaned in her bed. I rolled my eyes, and threw open her curtains. "MORNING!" I shouted into her ear. She snapped up. "What? Who's dead?" she asked. "No one's dead, silly. It's Christmas morning," I told her, grinning at her, and her question about dead people. She gave me a look, "So?" "Presents," I pointed out, pointing to the smile pile of gifts at the foot of each of our beds. "Wow," Meg whispered, and climbed out of bed. I looked at my own small pile, and smiled. Meg and I exchanged glances, and then sat down. I opened my presents, slowly. Hermione had given me some Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, and Ron had sent me some Chocolate Frogs. Harry gave me a book on Quidditch ("Haha" read his card) and a new set of quills and ink (I was constantly losing my quills). Meg gave me a bag of stuff from Zonko's Gift Shop. "I hope you like it. I only get a small allowance from the Ministry once a month," Meg said, "It's for school supplies, but I splurged and did Christmas last month." I grinned at her, "It's great. Now I can play some tricks on Harry!" Meg laughed, and said, holding up a figure (imitating the professors), "Ah, yes, the brother-sister thing." I laughed. I opened Anya's next. It was a black school bag, much better than my regular one, which was a faded black-gray. I grinned as I rolled up the wrapping paper, and threw it in the wastebasket. "Erika, you missed one," Meg told me, and pointed to a small rectangle package wrapped in silver paper. I picked it up, and unwrapped it. I opened the box. In it was a key on a purple string, with a note. "What does it say?" Meg asked. I opened it, and she read over my shoulder. Erika, Your parents were always ones to think ahead. They entrusted this key to me with instructions. This is the key to your personal vault in Gringotts Wizard Bank. In it you will find a good amount of wizard money to provide for you. Merry Christmas.  
  
"That's . . . weird," Meg said. I nodded, and pulled the key out. "It has the Gringotts symbol on it," Meg told me, "Here, wait." She stood up and went to her trunk. She opened it, and searched around for a second. "Here," she said, and sat back down. She handed me something. It was a key, identical to the one I held in my hand. I looked at the two. "Well, I guess it's authentic," I told her. She nodded.  
  
That evening, Hedwig came to the tower, with a letter from Harry. I opened it, and read it by the fire.  
  
Erika, Merry Christmas! I hope you liked what I got you. I thought the book might help you when (not if) you try out next year. I also thought you might need the quills and ink. I liked what you got me. So, thanks. We're going to go see the apartment tomorrow. I'll write you after that. Bye. Harry  
  
"Meg, do you have a piece of parchment?" I asked. Meg nodded, and took some out for me. I told Hedwig to wait, and quickly wrote a letter to Harry.  
  
Merry Christmas, Harry! Thanks for the book and quills. I needed them. We had a nice Christmas. It's really quite in the tower. I got this really strange gift from someone, I dunno who. They said it was a key to my own vault at Gringrotts Bank. Meg and I reckon it is, it looks like it is at least. I dunno what to do with it. Anyways, hope you had a good Christmas. Erika  
  
At dinner, the entire Gryffindor table was empty (but there were a few others there, about twenty students). Meg and I could talk freely. "This is the first Christmas I've actually gotten anything for," Meg told me, "Before, it was just like any other day. My grandfather didn't let us celebrate Christmas, or pretty much anything. Halloween was his favorite holiday." I was surprised. Meg hardly ever talked about her life before Hogwarts. "You know the funny thing?" Meg asked. I shook my head, "What?" "No one there seemed to care," Meg answered, then changed the subject, "I'm hungry. Pass me a roll."  
  
The rest of break was spent by Meg and I doing what we couldn't do with tons of other people around: being lazy. We walked around in our pjs, and didn't get out of bed until noon. It was lots of fun. But break ended too soon for our liking, and once again, Gryffindor tower was full of people. The night everyone returned, Meg and I were sitting in our room, talking and doing our homework. I looked down to add a sentence to my essay. When I looked up, Meg's quill and dropped from her hand, and she had gone into another trance. I took a deep breath, and remembered what Meg had told me. I pushed everything off her bed, and helped her lay down. I dashed downstairs, and over to where Harry sat. "Harry, can you go get Dumbledore? Meg needs him, fast," I told him. Harry nodded, and left. He knew all about Meg being a seer. Hermione and Ron looked confused. "It's nothing, really," I told them, "Meg just wants to ask him something." They nodded, and went back to their homework.  
  
* * * A few minutes later As told by Megan Riddle  
  
When I woke up, I was in my own bed. I grasped my neck, and felt it move when I breathed. I sighed and relaxed. The door opened, and Dumbledore walk in, shortly followed by Harry and Erika. He dismissed them, and walked over to me. "You were Seeing again, weren't you, Miss Riddle?" he asked. I nodded, sitting up in the bed, "I know what it means, Headmaster. I know what I Saw." Dumbledore nodded, and said, "What was it?" I took a deep breath and answered, "There's going to be another attack on Hogwarts."  
  
A/N- end of chapter 8. Well, it's decided. I decided to change the title of this story to "Erika: The Legacy of Lily and James", which I hope will fit. So, next time I post, it will most likely be under that name. I'll try to post more often, I had a touch of writer's block, which is why this chap is short. Well, I hope you enjoyed it anyways. Now, REVIEW!!!!  
  
Any additional comments can be given to me at StarlightEve111@aol.com 


	10. The Darkness Grows

Author's Notes- This is chapter 9 of Erika- The Legacy of Lily and James, aka "Erika". I am calling this one "The Darkness Grows" for reasons in which you will find out in a few minutes. In this chap you'll find out a whole bunch about the current state of the Ministry of Magic, which is not a very good one, and the school gets a dire warning. But enough of that, you'll have to read on to find out what about! Now, review once you're done!  
  
Disclaimer- I own absolutely nothing. It all belongs to the great and mighty Harry Potter people. I am certainly not getting paid, either.  
  
  
  
Erika- The Legacy of Lily and James  
  
  
  
Two days later, while we all sat at breakfast, Dumbledore walked in. Everyone loked up. He was late, and lines of worry were etched on his face.  
  
He didn't sit down, but turned to look at us.  
  
"The attack on Halloween worried and shaked us all," he announced, "My sources tell me that Lord Voldemort. . ."  
  
He had to pause. A ripple of fear had gone through the entire hall. Even the mention of his name brought immediate terror.  
  
I looked at Meg, sitting beside me. Her fists were clenched on the table. Her head hung, her eyes were shut.  
  
"Fear not the name," she whispered, "Your terror is what he lives on."  
  
Dumbledore's voice rang out, "My sources tell me he will try again! This time, however, we will be ready. Starting tomorrow, a small group of minsitry aurors will be here, at Hogwarts, to protect us if need be. But we must not rely completely on them. If need be, the duty will fall to us, the inhabitants, and perhaps, to you, the students.  
  
"Therefore, the staff and I have asked that every student above 4th year join us in the Great Hall every Tuesday and Thursday night, for lessons in defense. Thank you."  
  
He sat down. There was silence in the Great Hall for a few minutes. Eventually, conversation returned to semi-normal.  
  
"Meg, are you okay?" I asked.  
  
She looked up, nodded, and smiled.  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine," she answered.  
  
"You were the source, weren't you?" I asked.  
  
Again, she nodded, "It's not going to work perfectly. I can't change the complete future, it's already set. But maybe the stuff I See isn't the real future, it's what'll happen if I don't help. Or maybe what I see is what'll happen no matter what. Your guess is as good as mine. But, let's hope it's the first, because what I Saw was not pleasant at all."  
  
Meg and I sat in the common room. I was doing Potions homework, and Meg was reading Seers: The Truth.  
  
A third year walked into the Common Room, and came over to us.  
  
"Megan, Erika, McGonagall's outside looking for you," they told us.  
  
Meg and I exchanged glances, and Meg put down her book.  
  
"What does she want?" I asked.  
  
The third year shrugged, and went off to join their friends.  
  
Meg and I went out the portrait, to find McGonagall standing there, looking quite white.  
  
"The Headmaster wants to see you in his office, now," she told us, turned on her heel, and walked down the hall.  
  
Meg and I followed her.  
  
"Wonder what he wants," I said.  
  
Meg shrugged.  
  
Harry was waiting on the stairs outside Dumbledore's office.  
  
"The Headmaster'll be right out," McGonagall told us, and went into the office, shutting the door firmly behind her.  
  
Once she was gone, I turned to my brother.  
  
"Do you know what he wants?" I asked.  
  
Harry shrugged, "I got here a few minutes ago. There's a bunch of other people in there. They're arguing."  
  
We were silent. I listened to the voices in the office.  
  
"Dumbledore! Are you telling me you're basing these . . . these . . . SUSPICIONS on the so called 'visions' of an 11-year-old girl who claims to be a Seer!"  
  
"Fudge," Harry whispered, "The minister of magic. A bit dim at times, doesn't like Muggles very much, either."  
  
McGonagall's voice chimed in, "She Saw the first attack, Minister!"  
  
"She is also the grand-daughter of Lord Voldemort . . . and very important to our fight," Dumbledore's calm voice reminded them.  
  
Fudge's voice sounded again, "Listen to what you just said, Dumbledore! His grand-daughter! Whose side do you really think she's on?"  
  
"She ran away . . ." McGonagall started.  
  
"A plot, to be sure! A plan by He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named! Get his grand-daughter to plead innocence, and then ruin EVERYTHING! Everything we've worked so hard for! Our defenses against her grandfather! Why am I the only one who sees this?" Fudge shouted, "She even befriends the ones we feel we must protect! The Potters! The outrage! The very targets of her grandfather! Does it not look like a ploy? You're playing right into his hands! Why am I the only one that sees it?"  
  
"Because you see wrong, Minister. You do not know this girl. If you did, I assure you, there would be no doubt in your mind of her innocence!"  
  
It was the angry voice of Anya Jones.  
  
"Minister, you will do nothing to Miss Riddle, not even question her yourself, until I am assured of your loyalty. While she is here, I am her protector," Dumbledore said.  
  
There was a curse from Fudge.  
  
"Fine! But when you find yourself in the wrong, and staring up at He- Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's face because of her, do not cry to me for help!" Fudge stated.  
  
The door swung open, and the Minister of Magic stormed out.  
  
"Mr. Potter, Miss Potter," he siad, nodding to us.  
  
He glanced at Meg, a cold, icy glance, full of distrust, and then he stormed down the stairs.  
  
The door opened again, and Dumbledore appeared.  
  
"You three can come in now," he told us, lightly.  
  
We stood up, and went into the office. Harry was right, most of the professors were in there.  
  
He told everyone to go wait outside, except McGonagall and Anya.  
  
"Harry, I think you'll be happy to know I sent in an appeal to the court for Sirius's case. I had to wait until we had enough of the jury on our side," he said.  
  
I looked at Anya, remembering what Remus Lupin had said about her and Sirius Black. But she just stood there, frowning.  
  
"Harry, I'll need your help with the defense classes. Lord Voldemort's enlisted the dementors as his allies. Fudge didn't get to them in time. We're lucky to have the trolls and some of the giants. Everyone will need to learn to do a proper Patronus. Mr. Lupin will be there as well, to help you," Dumbledore said.  
  
Harry nodded.  
  
"While the Ministry officials are here, all three of you will be under close watch. I told you this to prepare you. The darkness is growing," he said, "You can return to your rooms now."  
  
* * * A few minutes later Dumbledore's Office  
  
"The split in the ministry continues to grow," McGonagall said, "Between 3 groups, the supporters of the Dark Lord, Fudge, and you."  
  
"We shouldn't divide! We should be united against him," Snape said, "That is the only way we can win."  
  
Anya glared at him, "Such a thing will happen when, and only when, Fudge stops being an idiot! He is convinced Megan Riddle is evil, still supporting Voldemort! We have seen it is not true!"  
  
Dumbledore turned to Snape, and said, "Anya is correct. Miss Riddle is not evil. It is absurd to think she is."  
  
Snape nodded, slowly and solemly.  
  
"We were lucky to have most of the giants on our side. If Fudge had let the Dementors get away!" McGonagall told them, "Now Azkaban is empty, the dementors serve the Dark Lord, and the past has come back to repeat itself."  
  
She left a great sentence left out, though most everyone in the room knew what she was thinking.  
  
"And there is no one like Harry Potter here to save us."  
  
Dumbledore sighed, and said, "We must end this meeting. Keep an eye on the students, and be ready for anything."  
  
* * * A distant castle Same time  
  
"They suspect an attack?" Voldemort repeated, angry, seated upon his platform, "We lost the strategy of surprise? How do they know this? Is there a traitor in our midst?"  
  
His cat-like, cold eyes ran over the group of Death Eaters before him. By his side, Ruth glared at them, and aura of superiority in her face. She glared at the smallest of the group. Wormtail.  
  
"We have a reason to believe the informant is Megan Riddle," one of the Death Eaters choked out.  
  
"Megan?" Ruth exploded, "MEGAN? How would she know? You lie! You're just tring to cover your OWN steps!"  
  
"Ruth!" Voldemort shouted, and waved her back.  
  
Ruth bit her lip, "Sorry, my lord."  
  
Voldemort turned to his followers, "What is this reason?"  
  
"We think she may be a Seer," the Death Eaters answered.  
  
Ruth's eyes widened, taken back. Then a blast of realization hit her, like a blast of cold air. All those moments when Megan was a child, whne she wasn't right. It all fit.  
  
"A Seer?" Voldemort repeated.  
  
Ruth kept quiet.  
  
"Ruth! Megan will be dead by the end of the year! Make sure of this!" Voldemort ordered.  
  
Ruth nodded.  
  
With pleasure . . .  
  
* * * Next day- Hogwarts As told by Erika Potter  
  
When Meg and I came down the stairs to breakfast, we weren't surprised to see two grown men in black robes talking outside the doors to the Great Hall.  
  
"The Ministry's here," I whispered.  
  
Meg nodded.  
  
"Wonder whose side they're one," Meg whispered, "Fudge or Dumbledore."  
  
I shrugged, "Judging by last night, I don't think they'd be here if they were for Fudge."  
  
Meg nodded, and we went inside.  
  
The day of the first "defense class" came. Harry, Ron, Hermione, along with every singe Gryffindor old enough to go, went down to the Great Hall. They were there for two hours, and came back tired.  
  
"Do you know how many bloody Slytherins showed up? One! One out of everyone in that house about 4th year!" Ron shouted.  
  
"Most of the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs were there, but next to no Slytherins," Hermione agreed.  
  
Ron grimaced, "They probably think they'd be better off just letting You-Know-Who take over the school! They figure, 'why defend it from what we want?'"  
  
"They're wrong. Even if they succeeded in that, it wouldn't be a victory. There is never victory with him," Meg said.  
  
I glanced at her.  
  
"Meg?" I asked when we got up to our room.  
  
"Hm?"  
  
"Are you okay? You've been really depressed lately," I said.  
  
Meg nodded, "I keep remembering my vision. It was dark and terrible, and I can't even understand it completely. It just got a flavor of what it means. People are going to die, lots of people! And I hate being the only one who knows!"  
  
  
  
A few days later a letter came through owl post to Harry.  
  
Harry,  
  
My appeal came through! I go to court April 25th! Wish me lucky. Say hello to Erika for me.  
  
Sirius  
  
A/N- I wrote this in school. Thanks to my friend, Maegan, who listened to me comment on every single thing I wrote for this. Well, the title's been changed, and I think I'm gonna change the summary too. Hope you all enjoyed this chap. I've been writing them at school now, so they're slightly shorter but I think they're up sooner. Now, review! See you soon in chap 10!!!  
  
Any additional comments can be given to me at StarlightEve111@aol.com (hint hint)! 


	11. The Trial

A/N- I've actually had this chapter written for about two weeks, but I'm finally posting it! I've come up with a much better method of writing, doing it in Study Hall. So expect the chapters too come out sooner (I'm like, two paragraphs from being done with the next one). I hope you guys like this one. I'm calling this one "the Trial" for reasons that will soon be obvious. In this chapter, Sirius Black once again joins the picture! Enjoy, and once you're done reading, review!!!! Oh, yeah, Starlight, thanks for reading everything by me!!!  
  
Disclaimer- I don't own anything. It all belongs to the great Harry Potter people. I'm not getting paid, so don't sue me!  
Erika - The Legacy of Lily and James  
"Sirius is going to trial!" Harry told us.  
  
Meg and I looked up from our chess game (which I was losing awfully).  
  
"That's great!" Meg said.  
  
"Didn't he all ready go to trial?" I asked, watching, sadly, as Meg stole my knight.  
  
"No, they sent him to Azkaban, the wizard prision, without trial. Which wasn't good. Azkaban is a really bad place," Harry explained.  
  
I nodded, and turned back to the game.  
  
"Queen to E5," I said, and killed her pawn.  
  
Meg smirked, "Knight to E5."  
  
My smashed Queen was removed.  
  
"I hate it when you do that! You could at lest warn me! Bishop to C3," I cried, moving my next piece.  
  
Five seconds later, Meg declared, "Checkmate."  
  
* * * Hogwarts Grounds As told by Anya Jones  
  
"His appeal went through?" I repeated.  
  
"Yep. He'll go to trial and win," Remus told me, grinning.  
  
Remus was at Hogwarts for a meeting with Dumbledore. He was busy at the moment, so Remus was joining me on my patrol of the grounds.  
  
"You think he'll win?" I asked.  
  
Remus nodded, "'Course he'll win. He's innocent, isn't he? What proof could they have against him?"  
  
We were silent for a minute. I broke the silence by suddenly laughing at a sudden thought.  
  
"What?" Remus asked.  
  
I grinned, "I was just remembering how Lily dubbed him the 'Purple Elephant' when we were younger."  
  
Remus started laughing. Moments later, there was more silence.  
  
"Remus, do you ever wonder what would've happened if they . . ." I started.  
  
Remus finished for me, "If they hadn't used Peter?"  
  
"Yeah, the Rat. I think about it a lot. We'd still have our best friends, Harry and Erika would still have their parents . . ." I said.  
  
"But lots more people would be dead. Who knows, maybe he would have found a way to kill them even with the charm. It's selfish to wish they hadn't died. They were almost like a . . .a . . . sacrfice," Remus interuppted.  
  
"I hate that word, I've heard it so much," I said.  
  
Remus nodded, then we walked around in silence for a little bit longer.  
  
"Well, I have to go. I'll see you later," Remus said.  
  
I waved as he ran back up to the school.  
  
So Sirius was being released, after all these years.  
  
* * * A few days later As told by Erika Potter  
  
Harry was in high spirits, ever since he had heard about Sirius's appeal.  
  
The days went by. Harry was happy, because people were starting to catch on to the Patronus Charm he was teaching in defense classes. The one Slytherin had dropped out of the class. Peer pressure, we reckoned.  
  
Snape was still as withdrawn as ever, but he started acting more normal around Meg (mean).  
  
Harry started holding more Quidditch practices, since they had a game coming. The morning of the match, there were dark rain clouds on the horizon. After breakfast, the whole school went out to the Quidditch Pitch.  
  
Unfortunately, we sat down, and seconds later, Avery and her gang sat down in front of us. Meg and I exchanged glances.  
  
"So, Erika, does Harry think we're going to win?" Avery aked.  
  
I shrugged.  
  
Avery turned back to her friends, to continue a conversation with them.  
  
"Did you hear they're giving SIRIUS BLACK an appeal? Stupid, huh? It's bad enough they've let a murderer walk amongst us for years! Now they're going to give him another chance!" Avery said.  
  
I leaned forward and asked, "How do you know he's guilty?"  
  
They laughed.  
  
"Erika, he's Sirius Black! SIRIUS BLACK! Of course he's guilty. Dumbledore's silly to think otherwise," Avery told me, as if stating the obvious.  
  
"Actually, Erika's quite right. There is no proof in his case."  
  
We all looked to see Anya Jones standing there with Remus Lupin. It was Remus who had spoken.  
  
"You're only saying that because you were friends with him. My parents told me all about it," Jewel said, "You both were his friends."  
  
They game started. Remus and Anya went to sit with the other professors, while we watched the teams come out. Gryffindor vs. Ravenclaw.  
  
It was a long game. After about an hour, Harry caught the snitch, and Gryffindor won, by a large margin.  
  
Everyone in Hogwarts was surprised at the news of Sirius Black's appeal, and who was spearheading it. Half of them thought Dumbledore had finally lost it.  
  
(A/N- I'm skipping forward to April now, sorry about the large time margin, but nothing happened).  
  
* * *  
  
APRIL As told by Anya Jones  
  
The day of Sirius's trial was a Friday. Dumbledore agreed to take me with him, along with Remus. After all, we had to testify.  
  
I taught my morning classes (no afternoon classes on Friday), which included Harry's class.  
  
Once the bell rang, Harry came up to my desk to see me.  
  
"Er . . . are you going to the trial?" he asked.  
  
"Yes, so is Remus. We have to testify," I answered.  
  
"Oh," was all he said in response.  
  
"We'll make sure to send you an owl back as soon as we know the verdict," I told him.  
  
"Thanks," he replied, and left.  
  
A few seconds later, Remus walked in.  
  
"Ready, Anya?" he asked, "Dumbledore's waiting for us."  
  
I nodded, "Yeah, give me a minute."  
  
I went into my office and grabbed my light cloak. Remus was still waiting in my classroom.  
  
"Harry was here," I told him, "Wanted to know if we were going."  
  
Remus nodded, "I wish he could have come. Sirius is, after all, his godfather."  
  
"Too dangerous. Dumbledore didn't want to risk it, I guess. I mean, all of us in one spot? Too tempting," I said.  
  
"Okay, we'd better go," Remus told me.  
  
Dumbledore was waiting for us in his office. They were holding the trial at the Ministry. We used Floo Powder to get there, walking through a room full of ministry wizards to make sure no one got in that wasn't supposed to be there.  
  
Then we went into the room where the trial itself was to take place. Sirius had let himself be apprehended a few days before, the only way he could actually be at the trial. It was also part of the agreement for the appeal.  
  
We sat down opposite the jury. Fudge was there, as well.  
  
"Dumbledore, Miss Jones, Mr. Lupin," he said, quite cooly.  
  
"Minister," we greeted in return.  
  
We quickly took our seats on the front bench.  
  
More people filed in, greeting us. There were a few others Dumbledore had asked to give a testimony. They joined us on the front bench.  
  
Finally, the doors shut.  
  
A side door opened, and Sirius was brought in. His robes were shoddy, and his hair very unkept.  
  
Mr. Cross, the head of the Department that handled these sort of things, stood.  
  
"Sirius Black, you have been accused of passing information to the Dark Lord. How do you plead to this accusation?" he asked.  
  
Everyone looked at Sirius. His face was impassive.  
  
"Not guilty," He said.  
  
"You have been further accused of killing Mr. Peter Pettigrew as well as 13 muggles on the streets, and causing a disturbance among nearby muggles. How do you plead?" Mr. Cross asked.  
  
"Not guilty."  
  
"Lastly, you are accused of betraying the Potter family to the Dark Lord, causing their deaths. How do you plead?"  
  
"Not guilty."  
  
So the trial began. Sirius was seated facing towards us. Remus and I both gave him a reassuring smile. He smiled back.  
  
I remembered, before that Halloween that changed our lives, I had got in a fight with Sirius, not our first. We'd claimed to hate each other, and hadn't gotten along sonce then, until now.  
  
How could our lives had changed so much? Here I was, four of my best friends dead, one of them with the Dark Lord, and yet another on tiral for countless cases of murder, and betrayal. It didn't help that I used to be in love with him.  
  
Dumbledore turned to Remus. It was time for his testimony. And after him, it would be my turn.  
  
"Remus Lupin, how long have you known Sirius Black?" asked Dumbledore, after Remus had taken his spot.  
  
"Since I started Hogwarts."  
  
"Did you trust him?"  
  
"Of course. I'd trust him with my life."  
  
"Did your friendship and trust ever falter."  
  
"Yes, sixteen years ago."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"I thought he'd betrayed two of my best friends, Lily and James Potter, to the Dark Lord. I also thought he'd killed another best friend, Peter Pettigrew."  
  
"Do you still believe that?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
Remus launched into a story he had told me lots of times, when he had taught at Hogwarts, found Peter and Sirius, and discovered the truth.  
  
"Sirius Black was not the Potter's secret keeper. Peter Pettigrew was. Further, he did not kill Peter. Peter killed the muggles, and escaped," Remus said.  
  
"How could Peter have escaped?"  
  
"He was an animagus, and could transform into a rat. He broke into the sewer, and joined other rats."  
  
"But he isn't regisitered."  
  
"None of them are. When we were in school, James Potter, Sirius Black, and Peter Pettigrew all became illegal animangi to join me during my transformations."  
  
"Transformations into what?"  
  
"A werewolf."  
  
There was a collective gasp. Everyone moved about in their seats at the news. Dumbledore had to pause.  
  
"Where has Mr. Pettigrew been hiding all this time?"  
  
"He has been posed as a rat, as a pet to Ronald Weasley, a 7th year at Hogwarts. Until he was discovered, he then returned to the Dark Lord."  
  
Harry had written a testimony, since he couldn't come. It as basically about seeing Peter with Voldemort when he rose again.  
  
Remus was done. He came and sat back down.  
  
"Anya, it's going to mostly count on you. All the other witnesses are really minor, and I doubt anyone will trust the testimony of a werewolf," he whispered.  
  
Great. No pressure. Yeah, right.  
  
I stood up, and took the seat where Remus had once sat, facing the jury. Sirius watched me. I turned to smile at him, and sat down.  
  
"Explain to us your relationship with Sirius Black."  
  
So it began.  
  
"We were friends in our early years of Hogwarts, and loved to pick on each other. When we got older, we started to date. At one point in time, I was in love with him."  
  
"Now how do you feel about him?"  
  
"He's one of my best friends."  
  
"Do you believe he did the things he was accused of?"  
  
"No, not at all."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"It's not in him. He's not that kind of person. He would never, EVER, betray a friend, especially James Potter."  
  
"Why especially James Potter?"  
  
"They were really close, like brothers. They would trust each other with their lives, and the lives of those they love."  
  
"Did you think the Potters would use Sirius Black as their Secret Keeper?"  
  
"At first, yes."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Well, Lily and James were smarter than that. So is Sirius. They thought Sirius would be the obvious choice. They wanted to outsmart the Dark Lord. So, they told everyone they were going to use Sirius, even me. But they used Peter instead.  
  
"No one would suspect Peter. He wasn't the brightest, nor the bravest. He also wasn't nearly as close to Lily and James as Sirius was. Sirius was the obvious choice. So they used Peter, without knowing he was a traitor, in the league with the Dark Lord. And Peter betrayed them."  
  
"How many people did you lose to the Dark Lord?"  
  
"My entire family, except my sister, Anra. Plus four of my best friends, Andrea McKinnon, Netta Prewett, Lily Potter, and James Potter."  
  
"So, naturally, you hate the Dark Lord and all of his followers?"  
  
"Of course. I'd do anything to stop them. Anything at all, even give my life."  
  
"Thank you, Miss Jones."  
  
My testimony was complete. I sighed in relief, and went back to sit with Remus.  
  
More witnesses were called up. They would speak their part, and sit back down.  
  
Remus had been right. My testimony had been key.  
  
I looked over at the jury who would decide Sirius's fate.  
  
The trial ended. The jury went off to decide, and Sirius was led away, to wait. We were free to "mingle." But, really, I was too worried.  
  
"Anya, it'll be okay. How can they not see he's innocent? There's no better proof then the truth, and we told the truth," Remus told me.  
  
I nodded, "I know, I know. I'm just really worried, that's all."  
  
"It'll all be over soon," Remus pointed out.  
  
Sure enough, ten minutes later, the jury walked in. Sirius was then led in.  
  
The spokesperson of the jury stood up.  
  
"We have reached a decision in the case of Sirius Black.  
  
"In the accusation of the murder of Peter Pettigrew and 13 muggles, the jury finds Sirius Black not guilty."  
  
I let out a sigh of relief. One battle won. Two more to go.  
  
"In the accusation of the betrayal of the Potter family, resulting in their deaths, the jury finds Sirius Black not guilty."  
  
Remus and I exchanged glances.  
  
"Finally, in the accusation of passing information to the Dark Lord, the jury finds Sirius Black not guilty."  
  
Relief. It was all I felt at first.  
  
"Sirius Black is hereby announced innocent of all charges, and freed."  
  
Everyone started clapping.  
  
"We won!" I cried.  
  
I turned to look at Sirius. He was grinning. His whole face lit up.  
  
We had won. Finally. Sirius was free.  
  
* * * The next morning As told by Erika Potter  
  
Meg and I went down to the breakfast with Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Harry was nervous. The day before had been the trial, and he still didn't know the outcome.  
  
We sat down, and started to eat.  
  
A few seconds later, Anya and Remus came in. Instead of going up to the Head Table, they came over to us.  
  
"Harry, Ron, Hermione, Erika, Megan!" Anya called.  
  
We all looked up.  
  
"Sirius has been released! We won!" Remus told us.  
  
Harry broke out grinning, "Really?"  
  
"They're releasing him this morning, and he's coming straight here. He wants to see you all again, and he wants to meet Erika and Megan," Anya explained.  
  
I knew Harry was happy. We all were.  
  
That evening, when we all went down to dinner, we dind't make it to the Great Hall.  
  
Standing in front of the doors, were Anya and Remus, with another man He had longish black hair, and was talking and laughing with them.  
  
"It's Sirius!" Hermione whispered.  
  
Remus ahd seen us, and pointed.  
  
"Hello," we said when we got over there.  
  
"Harry," Sirius said, "Ron, Hermione."  
  
"Hey, Sirius. Are you okay?" Harry asked.  
  
Sirius nodded, "Just fine."  
  
Harry grined, and said, "Sirius, this is Erika, my sister."  
  
Sirius looked down at me, grinning.  
  
I spoke first, "Pleased to meet you."  
  
"Me, too, Erika Potter."  
  
A/N- that's the end of this chap. Sorry about the huge time skip, but I had to get to April. Besides, it's only like a month or so. Look for the next chapter real soon, because, as previously stated, it's almost done. I also made a new songfic, to Avril Lavigne's "Things I'll Never Say". So, look for that too. It's L/J, obviously. Well, until next chapter, I have only these words to say to you: REVIEW and DON'T WORRY, BE HAPPY! *breaks into song*. JK, everyone.  
  
REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!! 


	12. The Attack

Author's Note- Hey, guess what??? I've got a DOUBLE HEADER for you (I think I said that wrong. oh well. I'm too happy to care!)!!! Yep, that's TWO chapter this update instead of one!!!! I'm sorry this took so long, but I've been super busy. All my teachers decided now was the perfect time to launch about fifteen hundred projects! Jeri, thanks for reminding me to update today!!! I promised I'd get them up! But, anyway, I've talked too much. Read, and review!!!!  
  
Disclaimer- I own nothing, nothing, and NOTHING!!!! Haha! It all belongs to the Great Harry Potter people, which is, sadly, not me. I'm not getting paid. Hence the fact I need a job. *tear*.  
Erika- The Legacy of Lily and James  
End of the year exams were upon us. Our professors loaded us with homework, and the tension was high in the common room. Even Avery, Jewel, and Lucy had cut their gossiping at night to one hour instead of the normal two or three.  
  
Harry kept going to defense classes, and I found I liked it more when half of the tower was gone. It was quieter.  
  
One such Thursday in early June, Meg and I had finished the majority of our homework, and had gone up to bed.  
  
Only a few minutes later, I was beginning to drift into sleep, when a scream pierced the air.  
  
I bolted up in bed, and tore open my curtains.  
  
The screams were coming from Meg's bed.  
  
"Meg!" I screamed.  
  
I ripped open her curtains. She was asleep, but thrashing around, screaming and ripping at her blankets.  
  
"Meg!" I shouted, and put a hand down to try and stop her from ripping her sheets.  
  
Her arm flew out and slapped me, hard, on the arm. I drew back, staring at the huge red mark appearing where she'd slapped me.  
  
The door was thrown open, and Professor McGonagall ran in, wearing a robe and turban.  
  
"Miss Potter? What's happening?" she asked.  
  
"It's Megan. There's something wrong with her. She keeps screaming, and she hit me," I shouted.  
  
Within seconds, McGonagall had taken full control. Someone had gone to get Dumbledore. After a few minutes, we'd actually managed to get Meg subdued (by placing a full body bind on her), but she still threw her entire body around on the stretcher, while we carried her down to the Hospital Wing.  
  
Dumbledore met us there.  
  
"Miss Potter, please return to the tower. Your friend will be fine," he told me.  
  
"Professor, can I please stay? I won't be a bother, really," I begged.  
  
Dumbledore shook his head, "I'm afriad not, Miss Potter. Please, return to the tower."  
  
Defeated, I cast one last glance at Meg (still bound, on a cot), and left.  
  
* * * A few minutes later- The Hospital Wing As told by Megan Alhide Dere Riddle  
  
I screamed, and woke up, torn from my nightmare.  
  
I flew into a sitting position. My head went dizzy, and it felt like marbles were rolling about in my head.  
  
"Lay back, Miss Riddle."  
  
It was Dumbledore, sitting in a chair beside me. I was in the Hospital Wing, a place I'd grown all to fimiliar with.  
  
I sat back. The dizziness dulled.  
  
"You're in for a long night, Miss Riddle. I spoke with Professor Trelawny. You were Seeing, as you probably know. It will happen again tonight," he told me.  
  
I groaned, remembering the pain, fear, and sadness I had felt. It felt utterly hopeless.  
  
Not again, not again, I thought.  
  
"Can I have a dreamless sleep potion? Please?" I asked.  
  
"I'm afraid not. What you See is very important. Madame Pomfrey will be here to help you when you need it. Once it is over, you will come and see me. I need to know," he reminded me.  
  
I nodded.  
  
He stood, and left.  
  
* * * A few minutes later- hallway As told by Anya Jones  
  
"Is she Seeing?" I asked when Dumbledore walked out, shutting the door to the Hospital wing.  
  
He nodded.  
  
"I thought so. She was screaming so loud! The poor girl. She's been through so much," I said.  
  
"Yes, and she has much more to face. Her future is still unsure," Dumbledore replied, "Anya, I have a favor to ask. Over the summer, Miss Riddle will have to stay at the school. She has no home to return to. Now, here is my favor: take her to stay with you for the summer. You both will have protection charms placed on you."  
  
"Sure. I'll do it. The poor kid deserves some fun," I replied.  
  
I didn't even have to think about it. It seemed like the right thing to do.  
  
* * * Next day As told by Erika Potter  
  
Meg wasn't at breakfast, or any morning classes. After our last class of the day, we walked to lunch. Meg was in her normal spot, waiting for us.  
  
"Meg, you're back!" I cried.  
  
She nodded.  
  
She looked very pale, and very, very, tired.  
  
"Are you okay?" I asked.  
  
She nodded, "I'm fine. But hungry."  
  
I laughed.  
  
* * * Somewhere else  
  
It was daylight outside. But inside it was as dark as night.  
  
Instead of standing beside her master, Rught stood before him. Behind her stood a number of Death Eaters in their robes, their masks removed.  
  
"Do not fail me, Rught. I want them dead. All of them. Show no mercy. Do not play around. Kill them, then send Wormtail back. I want to be the one to kill Dumbledore. I want to be the one to take Hogwarts. I want to be the one to send the Dark Mark into the sky," Voldemort ordered.  
  
Ruth nodded, "Yes, of course."  
  
"Do as told, and there will be a reward awaiting you. I am Lord Voldemort. You will by Lady Ruth, my second-in-command, my announced heir."  
  
It was a bribe, and a threat wrapped in one. Ruth could see it in his dark eyes.  
  
"Do not fail," his eyes warned her.  
  
And she had no intention of doing so. Once they were dismissed, Ruth gathered her Death Eaters in the hall around her.  
  
"Do as I say, exactly as I say. Leave the Potters, Jones, and Megan for me. Kill who ever else you like. Leave them alive, unharmed, for me," she ordered.  
  
As they started off, she thought of her reward. "Lady Ruth, heir of the Dark Lord, future Dark Lady." It sounded evil.  
  
She loved it.  
  
Moments later, in the Forbidden forest, a multitude of figures in dark cloaks appeared, their faces masked. Without missing a step, the figures walked silently towards the castle in the distance, under the cover of the new moon.  
  
* * * Same time As told by Anya Jones  
  
Remus, Sirius, and I were in the Great Hall, having left my office.  
  
"Who's patrolling tonight?" Sirius asked, sitting on a table.  
  
"It was supposed to be Trelawny, but we figured sitting in her room, looking into her 'orb' didn't count. I think Snape's patrolling. Why?" I answered.  
  
Sirius shrugged, "No reason, just curious."  
  
"Yeah, sure," Remus said.  
  
We had decided, without a word, that we wouldn't mention anything about Sirius's imprisionment while he was here. He was often here. Part of Dumbledore's "get everyone on our side" plan. It'd scared a bunch of students at first, seeing someone they considered a murderer at their school. Once they got over their initial shock, and the "innocent" notice came out, he faded into the daily life of Hogwarts.  
  
Suddenly, there was a sound of running footsteps. We went to the door, and saw Snape running in.  
  
"Death Eaters! Hogwarts is under attack!" he screamed.  
  
* * * Few minutes earlier As told by Erika Potter  
  
Meg and I were playing chess. I'd dedicated myself to find some way to beat her.  
  
"Ah-ha! Check!" I annoucned, moving my queen.  
  
Ron, who was sitting with Hermione and Harry, looked over.  
  
"Oh, you've just lost," he said to me.  
  
"What? Where?" I asked.  
  
Meg moved her rook over, and took my queen.  
  
The portrait swung open, and McGonagall ran in.  
  
"We're under attack!"  
  
The words sent everyone into a frenzy. Meg and I stood up so fast, the chess board was knocked over, the pieces clattering to the floor.  
  
It was only a few seconds before McGonagall had gotten everyone to their spot. Harry, Ron, and Hermione ran downstairs, with the others to defend the school the best they could. Everyone else was to stay in the common room, and hope everything went well.  
  
Meg and I snuck to the window to look out, and saw Death Eaters, so many of them, walking towards the castle.  
  
Meg whimpered.  
  
We were both scared. If found, we would both be killed, without a doubt.  
  
Something was flying towards to window. Then, a second later, shards of glass went flying as the window was broke, admitting a young woman in dark robes, riding on a broom.  
  
Everyone screamed, and ran to the wall farthest from the window. Meg and I joined them.  
  
The woman looked around the room, then stopped at Meg.  
  
"Sister dearest," she hissed at Meg.  
  
Ruth.  
  
"Ruth, please, no," Meg whispered, pleading and trying to press farther back at the same time, but not going any farther.  
  
The room was silent.  
  
Ruth drew her wand. She was going to kill us all.  
  
Instead, her cold voice said, "Imperio."  
  
Meg stopped dead. Then she walked across the room, and climbed onto the broom. Ruth followed her, and they flew out the window.  
  
"MEG!" I screamed, but to no avail.  
  
* * *  
  
Same time As told by Megan Riddle  
  
I was struggling, desperately, trying to free myself without killing myself.  
  
Why hadn't she taken Erika, too? She wanted her dead just as much.  
  
Then I knew why. She was bait. Ruth was sure Erika would follow me, then Harry and Anya Jones would follow Erika. Playing them all into her hands.  
  
Please, Erika, I thought, don't come after me.  
  
Then I returned to my struggle of freeing myself.  
  
* * * As told by Erika Potter  
  
Ruth didn't touch anything else in the common room.  
  
She was going to kill her. Without really thinking, I ran out of the common room and into the deserted hallway.  
  
I met Harry halfway between the tower and outside.  
  
"Harry! They took Meg!" I shouted.  
  
Harry wasn't listening.  
  
"Erika, get back to the common room!" he shouted, and then shouted a curse down the hall.  
  
"They took Meg!" I shouted, firmer, "We have to help her!"  
  
A curse shot through the air. Harry pushed me back the way I'd come. Now I was annoyed. I had to help Meg. She was my best friend.  
  
"Harry!" I tried again.  
  
But he interupted me, shouting, "Go!"  
  
Angry that Harry wasn't going to help me, I pushed past him and down the hallway. I was going to find Meg. She needed my help, no matter what Harry said.  
  
A/N- that's chap 11. Chap 12 is up, too, in this double treat!!! Yea! Okay, you know the drill. Review! I would like two reviews per person, one for each chap, just as much as I would like everyone to review. But that's a dream, cuz I, myself, admit I do not always review. You don't always have time. But, please, TRY to review! Well, I hope you enjoy this. Chap 12 is pretty short, but read it!!! NOW!!!!  
  
Review!!!! 


	13. Ruth

A/N- told u so!!! This is a twin treat. Chap 11 and 12 were posted on the same day. So, if you haven't read 11 yet, go read it BEFORE this one! And, please, I beg you, if you are reading this story, but haven't read my other story "Lily's Lake" please go read it. It's the prequel to this, and will make so much more sense if you read it! Okay, this is the last half of the battle. Hope you enjoy it. That's it for now! Review and Read!!!  
  
Disclaimer- I own nothing at all. Zip. Zero. Don't sue me. I'm not making any money. Don't think I am. Everything belongs to the Great Harry Potter People. I think we should have a holiday after them, get school off, and EVERYTHING! YES!  
Erika- The Legacy of Lily and James  
There were Death Eaters in front of me. Desperate to avoid them, I turned and ran down another hallway. I knew the school pretty well, so in ten minutes I was standing outside the school (having climbed out a window), looking around for Meg.  
  
It was dark out, so it took a moment for my eyes to adjust. I didn't want to risk wand-light.  
  
Then I saw a lone figure, standing near the forest. It had to be Ruth.  
  
I ran down the grounds, and into the forest, hoping to come up behind her, and sneak Meg away without her seeing.  
  
I saw Ruth first, then Meg, tied to a tree with magical ropes. I ran over to her as quiet as I could. Ruth didn't notice, she was too busy watching the school.  
  
Every few seconds there was a flash of light, and screams. I hoped everyone was okay.  
  
"Meg, it's me, Erika," I hissed.  
  
Meg turned her head to look at me.  
  
"Go back to the school," she whispered, "Before anyone sees you."  
  
I looked over at Ruth. She hadn't heard us, and was still watching the school intently.  
  
"You're not safe here," Meg hissed.  
  
"The school's not exactly safe either. Besides, I came to get you. I couldn't just let her kill you," I protested.  
  
Meg shook her head.  
  
"You're playing right into her hands. She's waiting to kill me until you get here, and then she's going to wait until Harry and Anya come after us, which they will, and kill us all. And if you're here, Harry and Anya aren't too far behind," Meg explained. "Well, if we can get you untied, we can get away and stop them from coming. 'Kay?" I asked.  
  
I looked down at the ropes, connected to Ruth's wand, and started to look for a knot. I stood up, and started to circle around the tree . . . and tripped on the ropes.  
  
The ropes pulled on the wand, which pulled Ruth's hand.  
  
I scurried behind the tree, just in time. Ruth turned around.  
  
"Sister dearest?" she asked, her voice teasing, yet cold.  
  
"Let me go, Ruth!" Meg shouted.  
  
Ruth laughed, "You'll be released soon enough. I don't like killing helpless people. I like to kill them fighting. Grandfather has taught me a lot."  
  
I didn't hear Meg reply. I leaned against the tree, trying not to breathe to loudly, and be found.  
  
"Megan, you're my only sister. You could be great, with me as your instructor. We could make a great team, feared above everyting, and powerful, so powerful," Ruth told her, "Your Seeing powers, my deadly power . . . If only you would come back. I have orders to kill you tonight, Megan. But, if you come back, I will spare you."  
  
"Never," Meg said, and made a sound.  
  
I think she spit on her.  
  
Ruth let out an angry sound, and yelled, "You are a Riddle! Born to dominate this world! Born for power! The Heir of Slytherin! Yet, you'd rather chose the side of our enemies, the people you were born to kill!"  
  
"At least I chose not to kill!" Meg shouted, "You talk about favorites, about me being your sister, about taking care of me! Yet, you can't! All you can feel is hate, jealousy, and anger! The things I feel are lost on you! Don't even tell me they aren't! I was raised in the same place, with the same lessons! Trust no one, feel nothing, kill, kill, KILL! I don't want to kill people, Ruth! I hate everything you stand for!"  
  
There was another sound. I think Ruth slapped Meg.  
  
Then, there were shouts. Harry. Anya.  
  
"Oh, look, Megan. Your 'friends' are here. But where is the Potter girl?" Ruth asked.  
  
"Where is my sister?" Harry's voice shouted.  
  
I wanted to curse. Now Ruth had us all in the same spot, exactly how she wanted it. She was going to kill us.  
  
I had to stop her, or at least die trying.  
  
Ruth's back was to me. She was facing Harry and Anya, who both looked tired and worn. Silently, I left my hiding place until I was standing up behind Ruth. Harry and Anya saw me.  
  
I put my finger to my lips, a signal to them to pretend they hadn't seen me. They understood.  
  
"What have you done with my sister?" Harry shouted.  
  
I was standing just behind Ruth. She was tall, just as tall as harry, and from the back, looked like the grown-up version of Meg.  
  
I hesitated only a second, and then pounced on her back, taking her completely by surprise, and knocking her to the ground. Harry and Anya started running, Harry to help me and Anya to untie Meg.  
  
Harry wrestled Ruth's wand out of her hand. Just in time, too. The next second she had rolled over and crushed me under her back. I screamed, and she jumped up, grabbing my arm.  
  
"Give me back my wand, Potter, and I'll give you your sister," she said, tightening her grip on my arm.  
  
Harry looked from me to Ruth, and back again.  
  
"Don't do it!" I shouted.  
  
Ruth squeezed my arm tighter, and hissed at me to be quiet.  
  
She glared at Harry, and hissed, "My wand or your sister. Chose! I'm giving you ten seconds. Give me my wand or I'll kill your sister in front of your eyes!"  
  
"Stupefy!" a voice behind us shouted.  
  
Ruth's grip loosened.  
  
"Erika! Run!" Anya shouted, she was the one who'd yelled the curse.  
  
I broke free, and ran over to Harry. Anya ran over, holding Meg's arm.  
  
"Come on, she won't be down for long," Anya said.  
  
"Shouldn't we tie her up or something?" I asked.  
  
Anya shook her head, "No time. Hurry!"  
  
We started to run back to the school.  
  
There were screams, and different color lights coming from the windows. We managed to climb back in through a window, and found ourselves in an empty classroom.  
  
"Stay here, and hide. We're going to go back to the fighting," Harry said.  
  
Meg and I nodded. Harry and Anya ran out.  
  
There were more shouts.  
  
"Over there," I hissed, pointing to a set of cupboards lined up against the far wall, beside the door.  
  
Thankfully, they were next to empty. There were 8 cupboards. The three closest to the door were full of boxes. The next one held little glass beakers. The next was empty. Meg climbed in. I tried the next one. It was full, too. The 7th cupboard was empty. I climbed in.  
  
It was dark. I could see Meg's head's outling over the boxes in the 6th cupboard.  
  
It was slightly cramped. My legs were pulled up and my head barely missed the top. It was very warm inside, too.  
  
We sat there for what seemed like an eternity, but was probably really only a few minutes. I could hear the screams and shouts from the fighting in the halls.  
  
Curses ricocheted off the walls. I nearly screamed when a particularly strong curse blew the door off it's hinges, throwing it onto the floor.  
  
This was so scary. I looked over at Meg. She was shaking. I was too.  
  
I wanted out. Sooner, rather than later.  
  
Another curse came flying in, lighting the room for a second, like lightning, only red.  
  
And then, quiet. At least in the hall behind us. There were running footsteps, but no more voices. No more curses.  
  
Slowly, silence fell. I looked at Meg, well as much of her as I could see in the darkness.  
  
She shrugged, confused too. But we stayed silent, and in our hiding places.  
  
Then, slow footsteps walked into the classroom. Meg and I braced ourselves, worried Ruth had found us.  
  
"Miss Potter, Miss Riddle, you can come out now. They're gone."  
  
It was Dumbledore.  
  
Eager to be free of our hiding places, we climbed out. Dumbledore stood before us, with a few professors. They all looked tired and stressed.  
  
I looked at Meg, covered in dust from the cupboard. I imagined I looked more or less the same.  
  
"They're gone? All of them?" Meg asked.  
  
Dumbledore nodded, "Yes, all of them. Even Ruth."  
  
Meg sighed, and relaxed.  
  
They were gone.  
  
A/N- well, that's it for chap 12. I know these were a bit short, but there isn't much I can do about that! In the next chap, which I'm all ready working on, is the aftermath, and a few things that I'm sure most everyone's expecting. Then again, maybe not. But, anyways, I'm sorry about any spelling/grammar errors. I have not beta-reader, and, as I hadn't typed in a while, my fingers were a bit. weird. when I typed this. So. that's it. Review!!! Please!!! I'll love you FOREVER!!!  
  
P.S.- Here you go, Jeri. Your chaps.  
  
Any additional comments can be given to me at StarlightEve111@aol.com P.S.- I LOVE GETTING EMAILS FROM PEOPLE!!!! 


	14. The Aftermath

Author's Note- Well, I have a severe attack of WRITER'S CRAMP from finishing this chapter. It's a nice long chap, so you should be happy all you readers. This is the aftermath of the attack, in which quite a few things happen. Lots of fun. hehehe. A bit of foreshadoing, oh, wait, I'm not supposed to tell you that. Oops. Anyways, go check out my favorites if you want a good read. They are all really good. If they're on that list, they're good. But enough about that, onto the fic!!! REVIEW!!!!!!!!  
Disclaimer- I own nothing at all. It all belongs to JK Rowling and all the wonderful Harry Potter people!!! Not me, and I am NOT getting paid for this. No money. Nothing!  
Erika- The Legacy of Lily and James  
"How did you know we were in here?" I asked.  
  
"Professor Jones told us," Dumbledore answered, turning to look at Anya, who was standing behind him.  
  
She nodded.  
  
"Is everyone all right?" Meg asked.  
  
Dumbledore nodded, "The majority, yes. But there were deaths, and several injuries."  
  
I cut him off, and asked, "Where's Harry? Where's my brother?"  
  
"Miss Potter, your brother was injured. Not horribly, he'll be fine, I assure you. Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger are helping him and the other injured to the Hospital Wing. You can return to your dormitories in a few moments, but first, I wish to talk with you in my office," Dumbledore explained.  
  
I wanted to go see Harry. I opened my mouth to say so, but Dumbledore held up a hand to silence me.  
  
"It must wait until morning. You all need rest," Dumbledore told me.  
It was nothing new for us to be sitting in Dumbledore's office. Anya was there too.  
  
The meeting was short. We told him everything about our encounter with Ruth. He said little, and listened closely. He then dismissed us, asking Anya to escort us back to the tower.  
  
I tried to ask her about Harry.  
  
"He'll be fine," she said, shortly.  
  
Conversation over.  
  
Everyone was still in the common room when we walked in. Anya left us at the portrait. The others gave us strange looks, but we didn't really notice, and dismissed them quickly.  
  
I was so tired. I fell right onto my bed, and heard Meg do the same in her bed. A moment later, I was asleep, and didn't realize that our other room-mates didn't come to bed.  
When I woke up the next morning, Meg was all ready awake, and sitting on her bed.  
  
I sat up in my own.  
  
"'Morning," I whispered, and yawned.  
  
"Good morning. Look," she said, and pointed to the other three beds, "Avery, Jewel, and Lucy never came to bed last night."  
  
She was right. The beds were exactly as they were the night before.  
  
"I wonder why," I said, leaning against the headboard.  
  
Meg sighed, "I know why. When I got up, you were still asleep. I saw this stuck onto the door."  
  
She handed me the paper, and I read it.  
  
We know you're evil, that you're a Death Eater. You won't get a hold of us. We're going to Dumbledore.  
  
"How. how did they figure it out?" I asked, shocked and surprised.  
  
"I know how," Meg answered, "It was Ruth. Remember? When she took me, she called me 'sister dearest'. They must've heard."  
  
I exclaimed, "That's bloody stupid!"  
  
"It's not stupid. They don't know the truth," Meg pointed out.  
  
"Well, I'll see about that," I said, and slid out of bed.  
  
I slipped my shoes on, and left our room, leaving Meg behind, staring at my back.  
  
Downstairs, in the common room, was every Gryffindor girl and quite a few boys.  
  
They had slept down here, I realized.  
  
"Erika!" Avery called, "Thank goodness you're okay! You can stay with us for now. Don't worry about her coming for us at night, we keep watches. Most of the girls are here, 'cept you and that Granger girl. We all ready sent someone to Dumbledore. Oh, I'm sorry! You must be so sad, suddenly realizing your best friend."  
  
I cut in, "Avery, shut up! You don't know what you're talking about!"  
  
"You knew?" Avery shrieked, "You know about her? And you're still her friend? You're a Potter. She's a Death Eater."  
  
I sighed, "You're wrong."  
  
I spun around, and went back up to our room. Meg was waiting. I told her about the short confrontation.  
  
"Dumbledore'll take care of it," Meg assured me.  
  
I nodded, "Let's go down to the Hospital Wing. I want to see Harry."  
  
Hermione and Ron had beat us down there. The Hospital Wing was full. Most of the patients were asleep.  
  
"Hi," I said when we walked up.  
  
Harry was asleep.  
  
"Meg, are you okay? The kids in the common room are idiots. Don't worry about that," Hermione said.  
  
Meg nodded, "I'm fine."  
  
"Is Harry okay?" I asked.  
  
"Yeah, just a few curses. Madame Pomfrey made everyone stay the night anyway," Ron answered, "They're all under sleeping potions right now. What about you two, are you okay?"  
  
We nodded, "Yeah."  
  
"How long will he be asleep for?" I asked.  
  
They shrugged.  
  
"Another hour, probably," Hermione answered.  
  
"OK, we'll stick around then," I decided.  
  
Ron said, "Uh, I don't think that'll be happening. Hello, Professor."  
  
We all turned to see Professor McGonagall standing behind us. We all muttered hellos.  
  
"Miss Potter, Miss . . . Riddle, I'm sorry to take you away, but the headmaster requests to see you. It's very urgent," McGonagall said.  
  
"Now?" I asked.  
  
McGonagall nodded.  
  
"If you aren't back when he wakes up, we'll tell him you were here but had to see Dumbledore," Hermione offered.  
  
I nodded, "Thanks."  
  
We followed McGonagall up to Dumbledore's office. He was waiting for us.  
  
"Sit down, both of you," he said, not unkindly.  
  
We sat down, and waited patiently.  
  
"How many people are dead?" Meg asked in her quiet, solemn, voice that I had come to know.  
  
"Eight. Three Hufflepuffs, one Slytherin, Two Ravenclaws, and two Gryffindors. One of them was a third year who was wandering the hallways when the attack happened," Dumbledore answered.  
  
"Will all the injured be okay?" I asked.  
  
He nodded, "Everyone that made it through the night is expected to recover, mostly if not fully. Two of the eight died during the night."  
  
There was silence for a few minutes. Then Dumbledore spoke.  
  
"Miss Riddle . . . the Gryffindors know . . . about you. Within the day, I believe the entire school will know. We can not keep the secret any longer," Dumbledore said.  
  
Meg nodded, "Then . . . I suppose . . . We should . . . tell them."  
  
I looked over at Meg. Her cover was blown. Everyone would know, and many would hate her. Because of her last name. "Riddle."  
  
Dumbledore nodded, "I'll announce it at dinner. We can not wait."  
  
There was a knock at the door. We all looked over, and the door opened.  
  
Anya Jones entered.  
  
"You wanted to see me, Headmaster?" she asked.  
  
"Oh, yes, Anya, I thought it was time for us to tell Miss Riddle our good news," Dumbledore answered, smiling.  
  
Any anodded, and took over, "Megan, Professor Dumbledore and I were talking. We were both well aware that you would be staying at the school over the summer, without someone's interference. We talked some more, and Dumbledore suggested that you come and stay with me. We'd have protection of course . . . and you could visit Erika as often as you'd like. So, what do you say? Wanna give my place a try?"  
  
I looked at Meg. She was staring at Anya. I wasn't sure what she would say, how she would respond.  
  
"Er. sure," Meg said.  
  
"Brilliant!" Anya replied, "Oh, yes, headmaster, Professor McGonagall wanted me to tell you that Fudge is here, demanding to see you."  
  
Dumbledore nodded, "Yes, well . . . Anya, why don't you take Miss Potter and Miss Riddle to the Hospital Wing, and I'll speak with Fudge."  
  
We left. Meg and I were silent on the walk, but Anya talked enough for all of us.  
  
She left us at the Hospital Wing, where we were happy to find Harry awake.  
  
"How did the meeting go?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Fine. Harry, are you okay?" I asked, turning to look at my older brother.  
  
He nodded, "Yeah, just a bit cursed. I'll be out by dinner. How did the whole attack end?"  
  
"Eight dead," Ron answered, "And everyone in here's hurt."  
  
"But everyone's going to be okay," I put in.  
  
Harry sat up, an asked, "What did Dumbledore say to you two?"  
  
We all looked at Meg, who answered, "We're telling the whole school tonight. About me. And my 'family'."  
  
"What? Why?" Harry asked, shocked.  
  
"Didn't Ron or Hermione tell you? The Gryffindors know. They heard Ruth talking to Meg. They know about her being Ruth's sister, and they all know Ruth is Voldemort's grand-daughter. And even if they don't know that, they'll have it all figured out that Meg's sister is a Death Eater. And, in their minds, since Ruth's a Death Eater, Meg must automatically be one too," I explained.  
  
Meg took over, "We're going to try and save what's left of my life. Not that it matters much. Once news reaches the parents that Voldemort's grand-daughter is at Hogwarts, I'll probably be forced to leave."  
  
"They won't fore you to leave. They might try, but Dumbledore won't let them. He's Dumbledore, and he's headmaster of Hogwarts. Not even Fudge, the minister of magic, could take you away if Dumbleodre wants you here. I mean, people didin't like it when Sirius came here right after his trial, but Dumbledore kept him. And they all thought he was Voldemort's second-in- command!" Hermione pointed out.  
  
"But not his own blood! I have his blood, I have Slytherin's blood! I am an heir of Slytherin, I was born to bring darkness!" Meg protested.  
  
We all fell silent, staring at her.  
  
I spoke first, quietly, "Meg, you sounded just like Ruth, just then."  
  
Meg's eyes became wide with realization.  
  
"Oh no! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! Oh, why did I say that? Why? I'm sorry, very, very, sorry!" Meg cried.  
  
"It's okay, Meg, we know you're not evil just . . . frustrated," I said, "Right, guys?"  
  
Everyone nodded.  
  
"You have every right to an outburst like that," Harry told her.  
  
"It was just a bit scary, you know, actually hearing you say that," Ron said.  
  
"We forgive you," Hermione agreed.  
  
Meg sighed, "Thank's guys."  
* * * A distant place  
Ruth was not looking forward to seeing Voldemort. He would not be happy with her at all. But here she was, standing before him.  
  
"Ruth," he hissed, "Your performance at Hogwarts greatly disappoints me And Lord Voldemort does not like to be disappointed. Not only did you fail in capturing the school, killing the Potters and Anya Jones, but you expressly disobeyed me! I ordered you not to play around, and just kill Megan, the traitor, but you felt you had to have some fun first! And she escaped, along with Jones and the Potters! Had you done as told, we would have Hogwarts, and the Potters and Jones would no longer be a threat! Ruth, your failures are beginning to annoy me. Crucio!"  
  
Ruth screamed, and crumbled to the floor in pain. The Death Eaters recoiled. Voldemort had yet again showed how merciless he was . . . using one fo the Unforgiveable Curses on his own blood and heir.  
  
A moment passed, and Voldemort removed the curse. Ruth scrammbled up.  
  
"Enough. No more failures. Ruth, take your spot," he hissed.  
  
Ruth moved to her spot beside him. A Death Eater walked into the room.  
  
"What?" Voldemort growled.  
  
"My Lord, we're sensing resistance in another one of the children," the Death Eater said.  
  
"Which one?" Voldemort asked.  
  
"Adrienne."  
* * * Hogwarts As told by Megan Alhide Dere Riddle  
Dumbledore had told me to wait in this chamber off the Great Hall. It was quite small, with a fireplace. I could hear the students sitting down to dinner.  
  
I wished I could be with them, just a normal student, just Megan. Not Voldemort's grand-daughter, not Ruth's sister, not a Riddle, not a seer, just Megan.  
  
Erika had tried to come with me, but I had sent her back to the Great Hall. Harry was just coming back from the Hospital Wing . . .  
  
I heard Dumbledore call attention to the students, and waited.  
  
"Yesterday evening, our future was threatened when Lord Voldemort's forces attacked our school," he began, and continued without waiting for the ripple of fear that had swept through the Hall at the mention of his name, "Eight of our own lay dead, to be buried in a memorial service tomorrow. Most of our injured have returned to us, and the rest will recover within a few days. But, despite it all, Hogwarts is still free. Free for all students who wish to learn. We close our doors to no one."  
  
That was my cue. I walked out of the room, and stood beside Dumbledore, facing the entire school. A whisper ran through the studens, as I tried not to look at them.  
  
"The girl before you came here for the same reason as the rest of you did: to learn. Only her journey was much harder, as many of the Gryffindors have discovered. The girl before you told you her name was Megan Dere, but her true name is Megan Alhide Dere Riddle, and she is the grand-daughter of Lord Voldemort, and sister of his heir, Ruth, and heir of Slytherin," Dumbledore said.  
  
The room burst into shouts ("I knew her name sound fimiliar!" Malfoy shouted). I wanted to recoil, but stopped myself from doing so. Appear strong.  
  
Dumbledore regained control, and continued, "She has commited no crime, done no wrong. You merely hate her because of her name. And yet, she was an heir of Slytherin, placed in Gryffindor, the friend of the Potters, and I, myself, trust her. Under the use of Vertiserum, she was proven innocent of every crime, with one true desire: to escape her grandfather and the dark side. Now, students, hate her if you must, but I can assure you, the girl standing before you is just like you, innocent, and an enemy of Lord Voldemort. Megan, you can go sit down now."  
* * * Later As told by Erika Potter  
The next day, an article appeared in the Daily Prophet about Hogwarts, the attack, and Megan's true identity. We had great fun finding all the copies we could, and burning them.  
  
Avery, Jewel, and Lucy came back to our room, but still occasionally shot Meg looks.  
  
And then, our first year ended.  
* * * Somewhere else As told by someone  
The room was dark, and smelled bad. It was cold, but never the less, a young girl sat in a chair, her back straight, and tears soaking her cheeks.  
  
"Megan . . ."  
A/N- Well, that's it! A bit longer than my others, but not as long as some in Lily's Lake!!! You guys should be happy, my hands HURT now!!! Eek! Well, shout outs to Jeri, Kristen (who probably isn't even reading this), and Maegan (who I know isn't reading this). Well, now that you've read, there is this little light purplish button at the bottom of the page. Press it and submit a review! That's all, I think!!!  
  
Any additional comments can be given to me at StarlightEve111@aol.com  
  
P.s.- I love emails *wink*  
  
P.S.S.- Go read my favorites, so maybe the author's will update! 


	15. Summer

Author's Notes- Hey all! I have just one thing to say. I know some of you were really hoping this would end up H/H, but I'm warning you right now. It won't. I looked at my plot plan (sounds kinda funny, doesn't it), and it just doesn't fit. Sorry. Maybe I'll write an H/H later . . . Anyways, this is chapter 14. In it we meet a new character, go more in depth on another character, Meg makes a funny, and the first part of summer. Lots of fun. Okay, so let's begin! Oh, yeah, forgive my spacing. It's always off someway or another.  
  
Disclaimer- I own nothing at all. It all belongs to the great Harry Potter people. AKA- not me. I'm certainly not getting paid either.  
  
Erika - The Legacy of Lily and James  
  
Hogsmeade train station was alive with action. The entire Hogwarts student population was crowded onto the platform, waiting for the Hogwarts Express to bring us home.  
  
Meg and I stood off to one side. Harry - being the ex-Head Boy - was off trying to keep chaos from taking over.  
  
Anya had to stay at the school until the following evening, so Meg was coming to our new apartment with Harry, Ron, and I, until Anya came to get her.  
  
A protection charm had been placed on us the night before. Actually, a series of them. One was we couldn't be hurt by dark curses inside (or within a hundred yards from) our apartment. And another where we couldn't be hurt within a hundred yards of each other - Harry, Ron, and I that is. The same charms had been placed on Meg, Anya, and I. However, when we left those 100 yards, we were completely vulnerable. The same went each way, if Meg was at our apartment, she was safe. If I was over at her apartment, I was safe. It was, in my opinion, very complicated.  
  
I could see Harry on the other side of the platform, saying goodbye to Hagrid.  
  
"Erika, the train's starting to load," Meg said.  
  
I looked over at the train, and the students getting on.  
  
"All right, let's go," I said.  
  
We found a compartment, and sat down. I watched out the window as the remaining students got on, and the train slowly started moving away. Meg and I put our arms out of the window, and waved.  
  
"Fred and George are supposed to meet us here," Harry said.  
  
The Hogwarts Express had reached King's Cross, where we sat, with our things. Meg and I were sitting on my trunk.  
  
"They're late, I should've known," Ron grummbled.  
  
Hermione, who had been standing with her parents, ran over.  
  
"I have to go, my parents are getting impatient to show me my apartment. I'll see you guys at ten in the morning, tomorrow. Don't be late," she said.  
  
Harry, Ron, and Hermione were all signing up for Auror's Training Classes. All three wanted to be Aurors.  
  
We all said goodbye, and settled down for another wait. Slowly, Plat form 9 and ¾ emptied out.  
  
Fifteen minutes later, two identical men walked up. Fred and George Weasley.  
  
"Sorry we're late," one of them, I couldn't tell them apart, said.  
  
"Late is an understatement," Ron told them, "Can we go, now?"  
  
"Yep," the other said, and then saw Meg, "You must be the Riddle girl. Read all about you in the newspaper."  
  
"Could you say it any louder?" I asked.  
  
The twin grinned, "Ah-hah! She has a voice! George, you owe me 5 sickles!"  
  
The other twin pushed his brother, mockingly, and we set off. Of course, there was the whole problem of getting four wizards, two witches, and two owls through London without cuasing a spectacle. But we managed it, with a few taxis.  
  
We finally reached the flat. I was quite relieved. We carried our stuff up a set of stairs to the second floor. There were four identical apartments to a floor. Ours was in the front left corner, if you were looking from the street below.  
  
"Well, here you are," Fred said, "Mum and Dad are bring the furniture tomorrow. They've been looking all year."  
  
"Did they use the money I gave them?" Harry asked.  
  
Fred nodded, "Yeah. Well, are you ready?"  
  
"Fred, just let us in," George told his brother.  
  
They turned the key in the lock, and opened the door. Beyond the door was a semi-narrow hallway, with a window at the end. There were three doors on the left wall, and two arches and one door to the right.  
  
"This is it," George said.  
  
I walked in, and started looking around. The first two doors on the left were two bedrooms, and the third was a bathroom.  
  
On the right, the two arches were a connecting livingroom/kitchen. The first was the kitchen area, and the second the living room area. The last door was another bedroom. Mine.  
  
"It's great," I stated.  
  
"All right. We've gotta go. We'll be back tomorrow morning with Mum and Dad," Fred said.  
  
George waved, "See you then!"  
  
And they apparated away. The four of us were left standing in our apartment.  
  
"Pizza, anyone?" I asked.  
  
"What's pizza?" Meg asked.  
  
I shook my head, and put an arm around Meg, teasingly, and said, "Meg, my friend, you've got a lot to learn."  
  
By 10 o'clock at night, we'd completely devoured the two medium pizzas, and we were all getting ready for bed. Of course, we didn't actually have beds. So, we were making due with nice, fluffy, sleeping bags.  
  
Harry and Ron were both sleeping in their own rooms, but Meg and I were camping out in the living room.  
  
"What do you plan on doing this summer?" I asked Meg.  
  
She shrugged, "I dunno. What about you?"  
  
"Sleep in," I answered, "And spend a bunch of time in Diagon Alley. Harry and Ron want to teach me to play Quidditch. We have to check out that key I got for Christmas . . . tons of stuff."  
  
We were silent for a minute.  
  
I spoke again, "Next year, we'll be expirienced second-years. I wonder if Anya'll be teaching. Did she say anything to you?"  
  
"No, but she will. Sirius Black is bound to be there a lot, and if he is, so will she," Meg replied.  
  
I laughed, "Meg!"  
  
We both broke out laughing. But it felt good to hear Meg make a joke, even a small one.  
  
Harry appeared in the arch, "Can you keep it down? Some people are trying to sleep."  
  
We laughed, but settled down.  
  
* * * A dark room, far away  
  
Ruth walked into the room, glaring at the two girls in it. The girls stopped what they were doing right away, and bowed.  
  
"You," Ruth snapped at one of the girls, "Out."  
  
The girl scurried out, leaving Ruth alone in the small room with the remaining girl.  
  
"Adrienne, the Dark Lord is very unhappy with you. I, the Dark Lady, am very unhappy with you," Ruth hissed.  
  
The girl looked up at her, "You're not the Dark Lady, Ruth. He's very unhappy with you, too. You keep failing."  
  
Ruth let out an offended cry, and slapped the girl across the face. The girl bit her lip, but refused to give Ruth the satisfaction of letting out a scream.  
  
"You filthy, good-for-nothing rat!" Ruth shouted, and slapped her again.  
  
Still, she didn't scream.  
  
Ruth's back straightened, and she glared fiercely at the young girl.  
  
"Watch your back, Adrienne. You never know when some poison might slip into your morning goblet," Ruth hissed.  
  
She turned, and left the girl alone in the dark room.  
  
* * * The next day As told by Erika Potter  
  
Harry and Ron woke up first, shortly followed by Meg and me. They ran to the store at the corner, and managed to get some dohnuts, orange juice, and paper cups.  
  
We ate around the counter (no table yet). At 9:30 in the morning, Harry and Ron went to meet Hermione, while Meg and I stayed behind.  
  
Not long afterward, Meg and I went off to hang out in my room.  
  
Five minutes later, there was a huge slam in the living room. Meg and I ran out of my room to find Mr. Weasley standing in our fireplace, holding a trunk.  
  
"Good to see that works. I had you connected yesterday," he said.  
  
I smiled, and greeted, "Hi, Mr. Weasley."  
  
"Hello, Erika, Megan. Where's Ron and Harry?" Mr. Weasley asked.  
  
"They went to sign up for Auror training classes. They should be back soon," I answered.  
  
Mr Weasley nodded, "Good. Molly and the twins will be here shortly. We're bringing the furniture."  
  
"Great. Is that . . . er . . . it?" I asked, pointing to the trunk.  
  
"Oh, no. We shrunk the furniture and things, and put them in boxes," Mr. Weasley explained.  
  
Five minutes later, Mrs. Weasley and the twins had arrived, each with a trunk. Since Ron and Harry weren't back yet, they set to return the stuff to normal size. Meg and I sat and watched (no magic during the holidays).  
  
As it turned out, when they were just about done, there was a buzz through the door-bell sort communication.  
  
"Erika, it's us. We forgot our key. Will you buzz us up?" Harry's voice asked.  
  
I grinned, and pressed the talk button, "Say 'pretty please'."  
  
"Erika . . ." Harry started.  
  
"Say it," I cut in.  
  
There was a short pause, and then "Fine, pretty please buzz us up."  
  
I hit the unlock button and said, "You're Welcome."  
  
The rest of the day was spent moving furniture around until our apartment actually looked like people lived there. The Weasleys stayed for dinner, when Anya appeared to get Meg. We all said our good-byes, and by eight o'clock the Weasleys (save Ron), Anya, and Meg were all gone.  
  
The next day was preplanned. Ron was going out to find a part-time job, as was Hermione (Harry was planning on doing so the following day). Harry and I were going to Diagon Alley to check on that vault that was supposedly in my name, and then Harry wanted to go to look at Quidditch stuff. Anya was also taking Meg shopping. The six of us were meeting up for dinner at the Leaky Cauldron.  
  
I dragged Harry through Diagon Alley, eager to begin.  
  
"I suppose I'll have to brave the cart this time," I said.  
  
"Well if this is your vault, I'm certainly not going alone," Harry replied, and I groaned in response.  
  
Inside the bank, we managed to find a semi-helpful goblin (really, goblins aren't altogether cordial to say the least).  
  
"My sister would like to make a withdrawal from her vault," Harry said.  
  
"Key?" the goblin asked.  
  
I held up the tiny key. The goblin nodded.  
  
"I'll have someone take you. Vault number?" the goblin asked.  
  
"Eight hundred and twelve," I answered.  
  
Five minutes later, I was quite unhappy. For I was sitting in a Gringott's cart, and plumeting down the track.  
  
Once we reached Vault 812, Harry and I got out.  
  
"I think I'm going to vomit," I whispered.  
  
Harry grinned.  
  
Just then, the goblin opened the door to my vault, and the sick feeling disappeared.  
  
"This . . . this is all mine?" I asked, staring at the mounds of gold and silver coins.  
  
Harry nodded, "Yeah. Come on, grab some so we can go."  
  
I did so, and filled a little purse. The goblin closed the vault, and handed me the key, which I put around my neck (I'd been wearing it there lately).  
  
We left Gringotts (I was feeling consideribly sick), and headed towards the Quidditch shop.  
  
"What do we have to get anyway?" I asked.  
  
Harry answered, "Well, I want us to look at broomsticks. I intend on starting to teach you about Quidditch this summer, maybe we could go . . ."  
  
He didn't have a chance to finish. Someone had bumped into him, and we stopped.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry," he said, and helped the person up.  
  
"It's all right, I wasn't watching where I was going. I'm Sarah," the person said.  
  
The person was a woman, a pretty woman about the age of Harry. She had light brown hair, pulled up into a pony tail.  
  
"I'm Harry," my brother said, shaking her hand.  
  
I cleared my throat.  
  
"Oh, this is my sister, Erika," Harry added.  
  
"Pleased to meet you," Sarah said.  
  
"You're not from around her, are you?" Harry asked, noting her accent.  
  
She grinned, "Oh, no. I'm from the US. I cam here for the summer, to get to see English Wizarding world."  
  
"Cool. In that case, welcome to London," Harry said.  
  
"Thanks," Sarah replied.  
  
I groaned, "Harry, I'll meet you in the store."  
  
They were going to be here a while, I could just tell.  
  
Harry waved his hand, and I left.  
  
Harry didn't come to meet me until miuch later. By then, we were late for dinner. When we finally got to the Leaky Cauldron, I was annoyed with my brother.  
  
Anya exclaimed, when we finally arrived, "There you are! What took you?"  
  
I rolled my eyes, "Harry was talking to his new girlfriend."  
  
To which, Harry shouted, "ERIKA!"  
  
A/N- Ta da! Chapter 14 is now done. I've also put up a prolouge, since I couldn't fit the whole summary on those two lines they give you! Well, now that you've read, you can REVIEW!!!! HAHA!!!!! REVIEW!!!! And Jeri, maybe the button is lavender. Oh well.  
  
Any additional comments can be given to me at StarlightEve111@aol.com 


	16. A Family Matter

Author's Notes- Here we are, chap 15! This is the second part of the summer (there'll probably be about three, maybe four). This is going to be a LONG story. I've allready decided on the end! I'm so happy! Yea! Okay, I think that's it. Oh, yeah, thanks to everyone who reviewed. Love you tons. And, if you want, I could make it so that I'll email you whenever I update. Just give me your email, and I'll try my hardest to do so!  
  
Disclaimer- I own nothing. It all belongs to the great Harry Potter people. I am not getting paid.  
  
Erika - The Legacy of Lily and James  
  
"Harry!" I shouted, knocking on my brother's bedroom door, "I need to use Hedwig!"  
  
The door opened, and Harry looked out, then came out to stand in the doorway.  
  
"Erika, I'm using Hedwig," Harry replied.  
  
I groaned, and protested, "But I have to get a letter to Meg!"  
  
"She doesn't live far away. Bring it to her yourself," Harry answered.  
  
"Why can't I just use Hedwig?" I asked, and then added, "Wait, are you writing to Sarah, AGAIN?"  
  
Harry shrugged, "I might be. I have to go finish my letters."  
  
He shut the door, and I sighed. It had been two weeks since he'd met Sarah. Three days before, they'd gone out on a date, despite how much Harry protested it wasn't a date. They'd been owling each other once a day.  
  
"Fine! I'm going over to Meg's!" I shouted, grabbed my key, and left.  
  
I took the underground (which I was beginning to become quite familiar with) for two stops (Floo Powder and me don't mix well). Anya and Meg lived in a town house a block down from the stop. So it was quite easy to get there. I had been there once, while Meg and Anya were setting up Meg's new room. They'd gone out and bought Meg a whole furniture set, a bunch of clothes, and other stuff to make her feel "more at home." Anya, apparently, was getting an allowance from the Ministry to keep Meg, but just threw it in with the rest of the household money.  
  
"She's family now. I don't need to get paid to do this," she said.  
  
I ran up the steps to their door, and rang the bell.  
  
"Coming!" I heard Anya shout from inside.  
  
The door opened, and I saw Anya, standing there in sweatpants and a sweatshirt, looking like she'd just got out of bed.  
  
"Oh, hello, Erika," Anya said, yawning into her sleeve.  
  
"Hi, Anya. Didn't your alarm clock go off this morning?" I asked.  
  
Anya grinned, "Meg and I decided to give ourselves a late morning. Come in, quick, before the sun hurts my eyes much more."  
  
I slipped into the house, and Anya shut the door behind me.  
  
"Meg's upstairs. She should be down soon. Do you want some toast?" Anya asked, handing up a plate of slightly burnt toast, "It's a bit black, and disguisting tasting, but it's still toast."  
  
"No, thanks. I had lunch," I answered.  
  
Anya grinned, and walked over to the stairs.  
  
"MEG! ERIKA'S HERE!" Anya shouted up the stairs.  
  
Meg answered, "FIVE MINUTES!"  
  
"You heard her, five minutes," Anya said, "Would you like something to drink? We have water, milk, and juice. Meg's not one for tea."  
  
"Juice is fine," I answered, and started looking around the living room while Anya got me some juice.  
  
There were pictures hanging all over the walls. There were a range of pictures, from Anya, Anya's sister (Anra, I believe), her niece, some of her and her friends (younger and older), and then some of our mum holding baby Harry (there were no baby pictures of me), and then one picture of her and Meg together (taken just a few days ago). I lingered at the pictures of my mum and her friends.  
  
Anya walked in, "I hope apple's good."  
  
I turned, and then nodded, "Apple's great."  
  
Anya looked at the pictures I'd been looking at. She sighed.  
  
"That's my mum, right?" I asked.  
  
Anya nodded, and said, "Yeah, and that's one of her and your father. That's of the four of us. I have so many of them."  
  
"Who took them?" I asked.  
  
"Our friend, Netta Prewett. She was killed by Voldemort a few months before your brother was born," Anya answered.  
  
I stared at the pictures. Mum stared back out at me. She had my eyes, Harry's eyes. Or we had her eyes. I had her face.  
  
"Erika, I have something I want to give you," Anya said, speaking slowly, "Sit down."  
  
I turned and looked at Anya, confused. But I sat, like she told me to. Anya walked over to a bookcase. I couldn't see what she was doing, her back was to me. A few seconds later, she turned around, and sat down beside me.  
  
"I want to give this to you. Netta made them for the four of us for Christmas one year. We put almost all of our pictures in here," Anya told me.  
  
She handed me the album. Written on the front was "LANA".  
  
"What's 'Lana'?" I asked.  
  
Anya laughed, "That was the name we gave ourselves, collectively. It was our first initials: Lily, Anya, Netta, Andrea."  
  
"I can't take this," I said, pushing it back, "It's yours. I can't take it from you."  
  
"Sure you can. Besides, I used a duplicating charm, so there's two. One for me, and one for you. They're exactly the same, I don't even know which one's the original. But I know Harry has a few pictures that are in there, I sent some to Hagrid for him. But almost every picture Netta took of us is in here. I have memories to remember them by. You have nothing. Now, you have something," Anya explained.  
  
I opened the album, and the first page stared at me.  
  
"The other three were destroyed," Anya said, sadly, "When their owner was killed. These are the only two left."  
  
I looked up at Anya, my godmother, and whispered, "Thank you."  
  
She nodded, "It's nothing, Erika."  
  
I wanted to say, "It's something." But Meg came down the stairs at that moment, dressed in dress-down clothes, like Anya. We turned to look at her, and I put on a smile.  
  
"Hi, Erika," Meg said, walking over to us, "Don't drink the apple juice, it's sour."  
  
I laughed, and looked down at the untouched apple juice glass.  
  
"Thanks for warning me, I won't now," I replied.  
  
Anya protested, "It's not sour, it's only one day past the 'sell-by' date. It's still perfectly good."  
  
Meg whispered to me, "Anya just doesn't want to go do the grocery shopping. She's excited because she's going out with Remus and Sirius tonight."  
  
Anya rolled her eyes at Meg.  
  
"Where are you going?" I asked.  
  
Anya shrugged, "I dunno. Probably just around."  
  
She left the room, leaving Meg and I alone, giggling. The album lay in my arms, and I was itching to open it.  
  
"HARRY!" I shouted, once I reached the apartment, "HARRY JAMES POTTER, WHERE ARE YOU?"  
  
Harry emerged from his room.  
  
"What? What?" he asked.  
  
I set down my keys, and answered, "Come here. I want to show you something. Anya gave this to me. It's a photo album, of our parents. C'mon, I want to open it!"  
  
Harry walked into the living room, and I sat down on the couch.  
  
"What's the pictures of?" he asked.  
  
"Mum, Dad, and their friends," I answered, "More than you have!"  
  
Harry sat down beside me. We spent the next two hours sifting through the album, looking at pictures, and talking. A true brother-sister bonding moments, one of the few we'd ever had. But I guess we were close and didn't fight as much as normal siblings because we had both been raised to be thought of as the only family we had, and then we had each other. So we didn't take it for granted.  
  
There were a few pictures in the album that confused us, pictures of a young girl, who looked a bit like us, like Mum. We couldn't figure out who it was. It was a mystery.  
  
On July 31st, we planned a birthday party for Harry. I was halfway through my summer vacation, and was having a blast so far. Ron, Hermione, and I spent a week getting the party together. We were having it at our apartment. On the guest list were all their friends from school, Meg (for me), Anya (his godmother), Sirius (his godfather), and Remus (his other godfather type person, though not an official one). Plus Sarah.  
  
We bought all the food and drinks, and I was quite happy to discover magic party favors.  
  
For his birthday, I bought him a kit from the Quidditch shop, which I thought was pretty cool. Harry was planning on taking me to learn Quidditch one day.  
  
The day of the party, Ron and I managed to get Harry out of the apartment for the morning. Ron had contacted Sarah, who was in on it with us. She was taking Harry out, somewhere. Once he left, Hermione Flooed over, and we dug out the decorations we'd been hiding.  
  
Soon, a huge banner was erected in the living room. At one thirty, the guests arrived. Harry thought we were having a birthday dinner for him, with just a few friends. It had been my quest to make sure he didn't have the slightest clue about the party. I'd succeeded.  
  
I was keeping watch with Meg by looking out of Harry's window. We sat there, watching. At five minutes past two, him and Sarah appeared at the corner.  
  
Meg and I grinned, and ran into the living room.  
  
"He's coming!" I shouted.  
  
Everyone ducked into their respective hiding places, while Ron and I did the last minute preperations. Ron took care of all the curtains, and shut them tightly. I shut off all the lights. I took my post by the light switch.  
  
Then we waited.  
  
A few minutes later, I heard Harry turn the key in the lock. The door opened.  
  
"Harry!" I shouted, "Ron blew the fuse box, and we can't figure it out! Come here!"  
  
I had to hold back a laugh.  
  
"Ron!" Harry shouted, and walked into the living room.  
  
I flipped on the light, and everyone jumped out.  
  
"SURPRISE! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HARRY!"  
  
Harry just stood there for a minute, confused, but then laughed. We were all laughing.  
  
The party went really well. I especially liked the magic party favors. Meg and I had great fun opening them and seeing what they did.  
  
Harry cornered us, and asked us how long we'd been planning this. We told him that we'd been planning for a few weeks, and that even Sarah had been in on it. To which he laughed.  
  
Everyone left around nine, and we cleaned up the mess. Oh, the joys of magic. Of course, I couldn't help, but did the manual things (taking the trash down to the trash bin downstairs).  
  
The next morning, I was sitting at the kitchen table, slaving over a History of Magic Essay (describe the major events that effected our magical society today, no less than 1000 words), when the buzzer rang.  
  
"Erika? Can you get that?" Harry asked.  
  
Him and Ron were working on their own homework, together, like always. Hermione told me about their cheating on Divination homework a few days before, and I wasn't letting them live it down.  
  
I groaned, but got up.  
  
"Hello?" I asked.  
  
"Is this the home of Mr. Harry Potter and Miss Erika Potter?" a voice asked through the buzzer.  
  
"Yes. I'm Erika Potter," I answered.  
  
"Miss Potter, I'm your parents solicitor," the voice replied, "I'm here about your parent's will."  
  
I was silent for a minute, and then pressed the unlock button.  
  
"Thank you," the solicitor's voice said.  
  
"HARRY!" I shouted.  
  
Harry came out of his room, and asked, "What? Who is it?"  
  
"Some guy. He says he's our parent's solicitor. I buzzed him up," I answered, "What should I do?"  
  
"Let him in," Harry replied.  
  
So, when the man reached our door, I let him in. Harry stood behind me. The man was of medium hieght, with balding gray-brown hair. He was wearing a suit, and was carrying a briefcase.  
  
"Miss Potter, Mr. Potter," he said, greeting us.  
  
We let him in, and brought him to the living room, where the three of us sat down.  
  
"As I said before, my name is Mr. Charles Laron, and I'm your parents solicitor," he told us, "I've come to discuss your parents's will with you."  
  
Harry asked, "Will? I didn't think they had one."  
  
"Oh, yes, they did. They asked that I not speak to you about it until the 18th birthday of their son," Mr. Laron explained, "Which is why I am here. Your parents, of course, left you some inheritance."  
  
I nodded, "The money in our vaults."  
  
Mr. Laron nodded in agreement, "Yes, they had those vaults made in case they weren't here when you went to school. That is not, however, all they left you."  
  
He lost me there. What else could they leave us?  
  
"I am sure you know of the property your parents held at Godric's Hollow," Mr. Laron said, "That was sold shorly after their death. The money was transferred to Gringott's for safe keeping, to be distributed evenly among their children, the two of you. Also, they both held land not far from London, where they grew up. They used to live on that land, with their own parents, until the deaths of your grandparents. Your father held land across the street from your mother. Of course, your mother's land was, according to your grandparent's will, to be settled among their three daughters . . ."  
  
"Three?" Harry cut in, "There was just two of them, Petunia and our mum."  
  
Mr. Laron shook his head, "No, there were three. Your mother had a little sister, Violet. Violet was also a witch, and was killed by Voldemort just before her second year, as a way to get to your mother.  
  
"Your aunt Petunia wanted nothing to do with either your mother or aunt, so Violet's land passed onto Lily, your mother. I spoke with Petunia Dursley two days before this, and she wishes to settle the case of her and your mother's land. She has agreed to give up all claim to the land for both her and her descendants if you agree to her terms. She wrote them down for you," Mr. Laron said.  
  
He took a piece of paper from his briefcase, and handed it to Harry and I. I read it over my brother's shoulder.  
  
"I, the undersigned, Petunia Evans Dursley, agree to forfitting my land inheritance, for both myself and my descendants, to my nephew and niece, Harry Potter and Erika Potter, if they agree to meet these terms: 1. They must agree to completely separate themselves from both myself and my family. 2. They must agree never to attempt contact between myself and them. The same for my family and them. 3. They must agree not to sell the land for twenty years after the forfit. 4. They must agree that their descendants must not attempt contact between my own intentionally. If these terms are agreed upon, I, Petunia Evans Dursley, will forfit my land inheritance to them, willingly.  
  
Signed, Petunia Evans Dursley."  
  
There was space for Harry's sigurnature, and my own.  
  
"Do you agree?" Mr. Laron asked.  
  
I exchanged glances with Harry, who shrugged. I grinned, and we turned back to Mr. Laron.  
  
"Sure," Harry answered, "Where do we sign?"  
  
Several days later, Harry and I had to go to Mr. Laron's office for the official paper-signings. The Dursleys were also going to be there. When we arrived, they were all ready there.  
  
They shot us looks as we walked in. It was the full time I'd ever been able to really look at the few remains of my family-no-longer-family.  
  
And they were just the way Harry had described them, horrible. That afternoon, our aunt, Petunia Dursley, signed her inheritance over to Harry and I, and we signed her Terms of Agreement. Harry and I left feeling considerably stranger.  
  
"We no longer have an aunt, uncle, or cousin," I said.  
  
Harry nodded, "It feels kinda weird. I've always known their there, even if I hate them. I won't miss them, but it's just knowing that they aren't there. I won't miss them, though."  
  
I laughed at my brother.  
  
The next day, Harry and I were planning on taking an afternoon off, and the four of us (Ron and Hermione were coming along) were planning on going to look at Harry's and my inheritance. The morning was mine.  
  
Meg was at the Ministry, with Anya. They wanted to see her, again. It was becoming usual. About once a week, they wanted to talk to her. There were weeks when they didn't even call her, but that was rare.  
  
So, I decided to go find my old orphanage. I knew exactly where it was. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were at Auror training classes, so I went alone. I took the underground until I reached the stop, and then walked the rest of the way. The orphanade was surrounded by a fence. I walked along the fence, and peered into the grounds.  
  
Then I saw a fimiliar face.  
  
"Janet?" I shouted towards my old roommate.  
  
The girl turned, curious. The moment I saw her face, I knew it was Janet Johnson, my old roommate and my old friend.  
  
"Janet, it's me, Erika," I shouted.  
  
Janet walked over to the fence.  
  
"Erika?" she asked.  
  
I nodded, "Yeah, it's me."  
  
"Erika! I can't believe I'm talking to you! I thought you went away to some boarding school. Why didn't you come back for summer holidays?" Janet asked.  
  
"Janet, you'll never believet his, I have a BROTHER," I answered.  
  
Janet gasped, "A brother? Really? Family?"  
  
Family was something everyone in the orphanage longed for. And for one of us to finally have one was a miracle.  
  
"Yes, it's so wonderful, Janet. I'm living with him. Janet, it's so strange to be back here. But I have a past now, a family past. I know who my parents were, who my family was, I know why I was left here. All those long years now knowing, and then suddenly I'm staring it in the face," I said.  
  
Janet sighed, "I wish you could come in the fence, but Ms. Kensington is out, and left her new assistant to take care of us. We call her the 'Slave Driver' because she's so strict. Erika, what's it like, out there?"  
  
"You'll see one day, Janet, only a few more years. It's wonderful, really. You'll like it. You'll have a family, too, someday, a family of your own," I said.  
  
Janet smiled at me.  
  
I spent fifteen minutes talking to Janet (no mentions of magic, wizards, or witches), and my other old roommates, before leaving.  
  
Harry, Hermione, and Ron were waiting for me when I got back.  
  
"Where were you?" Harry asked.  
  
I answered, simply, "I went to the orphanage, to say hi to some of my old friends."  
  
Harry nodded, in acceptance. A few minutes later, we climbed into Hermione's car (she's a muggle-born, and her parents bought her a car after graduation).  
  
The ride was long, but we got there, eventually. We followed the directions given to us by Mr. Laron, and arrived at a quiet street, with no houses. The woods backed up to one of the houses. There was no one around. We parked the car on the side of the road, and climbed out.  
  
The four of us stared at our surroundings. Harry's and my inheritance, our land, passed down by our parents. I picked out the lots by what Mr. Laron had told us. The one that backed up to the woods was our father's, James Potter. The house on the property had been demolished shortly after the death of our grandmother. Across the street was our mother's land, Lily Evans Potter. There were some ashes. The house on the property had been burnt in the fire that killed our other grandparents. The remains of the house were also taken away, and destroyed.  
  
It was our land, the land of our family. And I had no intention of ever selling it. It was one of the few things that I had remaining of my family. I wanted to keep it.  
  
Author's Notes- yep, well, I think that's about it. In the next chapter we have a daring escape! Woo-hoo! I'm sorry if anything about the will is incorrect, I currently don't have access to the earlier chaps of Lily's Lake (anything before the reunion). It's a long story. Well, that's about it. REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
Any additional comments can be given to me at StarlightEve111@aol.com 


	17. Flight

Author's Notes- I am currently hating AOL, so this chapter will be up whenever AOL decides to like me again. JK. Anyways, guess what? I got some QUIDDITCH for you today!!!!!! Everyone, on three . . . one . . . two . . . three! YAY!!!!!!!! Okay, that's good. Okay, well, the first parts will be a big, er, darkish. But afterwards, there's QUIDDITCH!!!! Okay, read and review!  
  
Disclaimer- I own nothing. It all belongs to the Great Harry Potter people, who I adore so much. I am not getting paid.  
  
Erika - The Legacy of Lily and James  
  
"Erika," Harry said, walking into my room before he and Ron left for their training classes.  
  
I was still in bed. I moaned, and rolled over.  
  
"Harry's it's summer. I should be allowed to sleep in," I moaned.  
  
Harry rolled his eyes, "Sleep, if you want. Just wanted to tell you, tomorrow's Saturday. Ron, Hermione, you, and I are going over to the Weasley's. Mrs. Weasley is making us dinner, and Ron and I want to get you started on Quidditch."  
  
"Sure, sure," I whispered, and rolled over in bed.  
  
Harry left, and I heard the apartment door shut as they left. Unfortunately, Harry had woke me up. And I couldn't go back to sleep, especially not after someone so RUDELY awakes me.  
  
I groaned, and got out of bed, cursing older brothers.  
  
* * * Somewhere else  
  
Far away  
  
The same time  
  
Adrienne stared around the room. It was the main room in the family quarters, which was actually just a remote tower in the castle-fortress. Ruth stood with several others, Adrienne's father and his wife and two of his misstresses. The five of them were very active Death Eaters. And tonight they were going out on an "assignment".  
  
Ruth was trying very hard to gain footings with Lord Voldemort since her "humiliation" (as Adrienne liked to call it) just before the summer, when she'd let the Potters, Anya Jones, and Megan slip through her fingers.  
  
Megan, Adrienne thought, Megan escaped.  
  
They were getting ready to go. Ruth walked over to Adrienne.  
  
"You," she hissed, "Be a good little Death Eater in training while I'm gone. Kill something. There's a few deer in the dungeon. I'm sure someone would take you down."  
  
Adrienne avoided Ruth's gaze. Disguisted, Ruth walked away. The five of them left, and everyone else started drifting back to their places. The five of them would be gone all night, killing, shedding blood, putting the Dark Mark in the sky, and laughing at it all.  
  
Adrienne shuttered. She had never been to a killing before, but a few of the older children had been, with Ruth. They came back grinning, saying how the people just died. They would go on about how the children clung to their parents, even in death. It made Adrienne sick. So sick.  
  
Up until a few months before, Adrienne had been considered a "good little Death Eater in training", as Ruth put it so bluntly. For that's what they were. They were brought up to be the perfect Death Eaters, the perfect fighting force of evil, born to destroy all that stood in their ways, and kill all who opposed them. To bring their grandfather's rule throughout the universe. And they accepted it. Adrienne had too, until a few months ago.  
  
She started drifting off in class, thinking about Megan. Megan was a year older than her, but she escaped. She went to Hogwarts. She was educated in other things, things much more pleasant and less-sickening than how many ways you could kill a muggle. At first, it had been just a touch of jealousy. She started doing badly on class, without knowing what she was doing.  
  
Then Ruth started threatening her, and Adrienne began to really hate it. She started to think that there was more to life than who could kill the most amount of people and who could please their grandfather more. That was when she started to think about escaping.  
  
Adrienne reached her own room. Her half-sister was all ready there.  
  
"I'm going to the dungeons with Rianne," her half-sister said, referring to another one of their sisters.  
  
Adrienne nodded, and watched as her half sister left. Desolate, Adrienne sat down. There had to be a way out, there had to be.  
  
And then it hit her. In Ruth's room, there was a broom, a very fast broomstick, that Ruth occasionally used. But she didn't have it tonight. Adrienne could take it, and ride to London. Maybe she could get help, like Megan, be allowed to attend Hogwarts, like Megan. It was worth the chance of being caught.  
  
So she got out her dark cloak, and wrapped it around, hiding her blond hair under the dark hood. She left the room.  
  
She only met one other person on her short walk to Ruth's room, and told them she was going to the dungeons to pratice her curses. They accepted it.  
  
Even though Ruth was very powerful, it was easy to get into her room, just a few unlocking charms. Adrienne quietly shut the door behind her, and crossed the room. Ruth's broomstick was in it's spot, tucked away. Adrienne grabbed it, and went to the window. She opened it, and a blast of night air hit her. She climbed onto the sill, and climbed onto the broomstick.  
  
Under the cover of darkness, Adrienne flew into the dark night of the new moon, and rode towards freedom. Towards London.  
  
* * * The next day  
  
As told by Erika Potter  
  
I walked into the kitchen, fully dressed my robes (we'd bought me some normal robes, too, in different colors, not just black). Harry and Ron were waiting, also wearing their robes.  
  
"Hermione should be over soon. She's using Floo Powder," Harry said.  
  
I noticed the broomsticks ready for us.  
  
"Fred and George have volunteered one of their brooms for one of us to use," Harry told me.  
  
I nodded, and threw myself on the couch.  
  
A moment later, Hermione appeared in our fireplace.  
  
"Hi," she greeted us, "Are you guys ready?"  
  
I sat up, and nodded, "Yeah. I think it's too early to be doing pretty much anything."  
  
Hermione laughed, and said, "Early to rise, early to bed."  
  
"How about 'late to rise, late to bed'," I offered, "It's much more fun to sleep late and stay up then it is to wake up early and go to bed early."  
  
Harry intervened, laughing, "Erika, I think it's time to go."  
  
So we left. Ron went first, then Hermione. Then me. I strongly disliked Floo Powder, and stated so when I fell onto the Weasley's hearth, on my back.  
  
"Erika, are you okay?" Hermione asked when I fell.  
  
"Oh, dear, are you all right?" Mrs. Weasley asked.  
  
I got up, and nodded, rubbing my back, "Yeah, I'm fine. Remind me to tell Harry to clean our fireplace."  
  
To enforce my statement, I wiped a few pieces of soot from my face and robes, and waited for Harry. He appeared a moment later.  
  
"Well, it looks like everyone is here," Mrs. Weasley said, "Fred and George arrived earlier. They're outside, preparing the yard for your game. They told me you're going to train Erika."  
  
Ron nodded, "Harry and I are determined to make a Quidditch player out of her, yet."  
  
"Fine, dears, just make sure no one gets hurt," Mrs. Weasley said.  
  
* * * London  
  
As told by Adrienne Riddle  
  
I was tired, and half starved. I had eaten since the bread yesterday morning. I had tucked the broomstick under my cloak, and was walking around London, quite aimlessly.  
  
My legs felt weak, and all I wanted at the moment was food, water, and a place to sleep. I'd rode through the night, and landed outside of London in the early hours of the morning, just before dawn. I'd walked into London. I couldn't take a bus, I had no money.  
  
I leaned against a wall, and watched the people walk by. A woman passed me, glanced at me, and continued on her way, before stopping in her tracks. She turned around, and walked towards me.  
  
"Are you all right, child? You shouldn't be wearing robes in the daylight like that. The muggles might notice," the woman said.  
  
A witch! I thought.  
  
I opened my mouth to speak, but it was so dry. I shut it, and tried again. This time, my voice, hoarse but still audiable, spoke.  
  
"I need to get to the ministry," I whispered.  
  
The woman nodded, and opened her mouth to answer.  
  
Suddenly, everything went weak, and I felt my legs give way underneath me. There, on the streets of London, I fell to the ground, and blacked out.  
  
* * * Same time  
  
As told by Erika Rose Potter  
  
In the Weasley's huge yard, Fred and George were waiting for us. Hermione sat on the wall with Ginny (who had come down to watch), while we discussed brooms.  
  
Actually, it was over which broom I should learn on.  
  
Finally, it was decided. I would ride on Harry's Firebolt, and Harry would borrow one of the twin's brooms. Fred was going to sit out the first few attempts to teach me, and then switch places with George.  
  
I knew the basics of flying, I'd taken the flying class at Hogwarts, like everyone else. I'd found it fun, and amusing. It was quite easy to, just being up there. Of course, we had to come right back down, so it didn't matter much.  
  
Once we were up in the air, the debate began about what position I should play. It was quite heated between Harry, Ron, and George. I just sort of sat there, pretending not to listen.  
  
Until I couldn't hold it in any longer.  
  
"How about this? I try each position, and see which one I like best?" I suggested.  
  
They all nodded, and agreed me.  
  
"You know, a simple comprimise can lead to a much EASIER outcome," I said to them.  
  
"Oh, shut it, Erika," Harry said.  
  
They started me out as Keeper first. Not too good. I let about half the throws get passed me.  
  
Then they tried Beater. I accidently NEARLY knocked Harry off his broom, so they quickly stopped that try.  
  
Next was Seeker. Harry insisted orchestrating this one, since I'd "nearly bloody killed" him. I missed about half the little balls he threw at me.  
  
"HARRY!" I shouted, "ADMIT IT! I'M NOT A GOOD QUIDDITCH PLAYER!"  
  
"ERIKA! CATCH!" Ron shouted from behind me.  
  
I turned just in time to catch a red thing that had been thrown at my face. Once it was safely in my arms, I turned on Ron.  
  
"What was that for?" I asked.  
  
Ron shook his head, "Throw it back."  
  
I rolled my eyes, but obeyed. Ron threw it to me. I caught it, once again.  
  
"Throw it to me," Harry ordered.  
  
I did so. He caught it easily.  
  
"Guys, what exactly are you doing?" I asked.  
  
Harry and Ron exchanged glances (they were flying right next to each other), and said, in unison, "Chaser."  
  
"Chaser? Me, a Chaser?" I asked, "Yeah, right. My hand-eye quardination is, like, non-existent."  
  
Harry grinned, "Catch."  
  
I caught the ball, and continued my protest, "Besides, I've never even played Quidditch . . ."  
  
"Non-exitent, ey? Too bad you just caught that Quaffle three times in a row, and I bet, if we kept going, you'd catch it a lot more times," Harry said.  
  
I shrugged, and said, "Fine, let's get this over with. TRAIN ME!"  
  
That was exactly what they wanted to hear.  
  
By dinner time, I had been through what I thought was a thousand drills. At the end, Harry, Ron, Fred, and George decided I was defintely a Chaser, and a good one on top of that.  
  
And, most surprisingly, I was having fun with it too.  
  
Mrs. Weasley shouted for us to come down, and we ate outside. Harry, Ron, Fred, George, and I discussed Quidditch. Hermione and Ginny listened, occasionally adding something, and talking among themselves. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were going back and forth between conversations.  
  
We practiced for another hour after dinner, in which I had to fly as fast as I could through a series of obstacles, while tossing and catching the Quaffle. It was very hard, but very fun.  
  
"All right, well, we have to get going," Harry said.  
  
We flew back to the ground, and everyone went inside. After a series of goodbyes, Hermione left first, for her own apartment. Then we left.  
  
I went first, landing not so softly on our hearth. I quickly backed away, and turned on the light while Harry and Ron came through.  
  
"That was fun," I stated.  
  
Harry nodded, "I knew you'd think so. Well, now that you know Quidditch, are you still completely against trying out for the Gryffindor team?"  
  
I thought for a moment, and shrugged, grinning at my brother, "Maybe not completely."  
  
"Great. When we go school supply shopping, we'll get you a broom then. Something fast, and durable," Harry decided.  
  
I nodded, "Sure. I'm off to bed. A day of Quidditch wipes a person out!"  
  
I waved to Harry and Ron, and retreated into my bedroom, shutting the door behind me.  
  
* * * Same time  
  
As told by Anya Jones  
  
Meg and I were cleaning up from a VERY late dinner, joking and messing around with the water in the sink, when there was a popping sound in the living room.  
  
"Oh, I'll get that," I said, suds in my hair from our soapy water fight.  
  
Meg nodded, still smiling. I'd set out to put a little fun in the poor girl's life, and was very happy to find that it was working. She returned to the dishes while I walked into the living room.  
  
"Anya," the man's head in the fire said.  
  
I recognized him as one of the men at the Ministry. One of Fudge's men. Mr. Castem, who was also supposed to be serving as Meg's guardian, at least, until Dumbledore and I had taken over.  
  
"Anya, I need you to bring Megan to the Ministry. It's very urgent, and very important. Can you do that?" Mr. Castem asked.  
  
I nodded, feeling a pit grow in my stomach.  
  
"Is something wrong?" I asked.  
  
"I can't talk now, Anya. Just get Megan here," Mr. Castem answered.  
  
With a pop, he was gone. I returned to the kitchen, to find Meg finishing the dishes.  
  
"Meg," I said, "We have to go the Ministry. They have to see you. It's very important."  
  
Meg's smile faded, and she asked, "Now?"  
  
I nodded, sadly.  
  
"Okay," she whispered, and wiped the suds from her hair.  
  
The gladness I'd seen in her eyes disappeared. I wanted to curse the Ministry. Why couldn't they just let Meg live her life normally? But I knew the answer: she was no normal girl. Despite the fact that she was Voldemort's granddaughter, she was also a Seer, who had visions based on Voldemort. And they wanted all the information they could sqeeze from her.  
  
The two of us used Floo Powder to get to the Ministry (which, in itself was quite complicated, more than one stop to get there). We were directed to Fudge's office, and told to wait outside before he could see us. I settled Meg into one of the chairs, and talked with Mr. Castem, who was standing outside the office as well.  
  
"How is she doing?" Mr. Castem asked.  
  
"Fine," I answered, "Isn't there some way you could find not to call on her too much? I want her just to be able to live, and not worry about having the Ministry breathing down our backs every step we take."  
  
Mr. Castem shrugged, and left me alone. I glared after him. The Ministry was REALLY starting to annoy me.  
  
Fudge let us in a few minutes later. Mr. Castem walked in first, followed by Meg, and then me. A few seconds after she entered, Meg gasped, and went pale. I followed her gaze.  
  
Across the room, was a young girl sitting on a chair. The girl was very pale. She had long blond hair, to her elbows. She was slumping, obviously very weak. There was an empty vial beside her. She'd probably just taken a potion.  
  
"Ad . . . Adrienne?" Meg asked, her voice weak.  
  
The girl looked up, and smiled weakly at Meg.  
  
"Hi, Meg. I came to join you," the girl, Adrienne, said, her voice even weaker.  
  
Mr. Castem looked at Fudge, and asked, "Did she take the potion, Minister?"  
  
Fudge nodded, and replied, "We spoke with Adrienne under Vertiseriam, and she admitted to being Adrienne Riddle, another one of He-Who-Must-Not- Be-Named granddaughters."  
  
Adrienne turned to glare at him, at the same time Meg did. But Adrienne spoke first.  
  
"Call him by his name, Voldemort. By avoiding his name only increases the fear of him. And it is people's fear he lives off of," Adrienne hissed.  
  
Fudge ignored it, and continued, "We've found Adrienne innocent and truly sorry for anything. I've called Dumbledore here. In all probability, Adrienne will join you at Hogwarts, Megan."  
  
I glanced at Meg, who was glaring at her sister. Adrienne glanced at her.  
  
"Megan, you do trust me, don't you?" Adrienne asked.  
  
Meg shook her head, and asked, "How did you escape?"  
  
Adrienne shrugged, "Sometimes, when you're neglected, it's quite easy. Megan, don't you trust me?"  
  
Again, Meg shook her head, and said, "I don't know."  
  
A/N- Tada! Chapter 16 is DONE!!! Well, Adrienne escaped. This one is a bit shorter, but there wasn't much else I could add onto it. I think the next chapter will be the last one in the summer, and then we'll move onto year 2!!!! Yes!!! Is everyone excited about the 5th book? I AM. I am also fully aware that the 5th book may totally make most of my stories impossible to be real, but, oh well, I'll still write them for anyone who wants to read them. That's it. Now, REVIEW!!!  
  
Any additional comments can be given to me at StarlightEve111@aol.com 


	18. The Matter of Adrienne

A/N- hiya! I'd just like to apologize for the past few chaps. I have a case of writer's block, which is bad. It's not that I don't know WHAT to write, it's I don't know HOW to write it. Strange, huh? Well, this is chap 17. I'm really happy, because this is all ready more than twice as long as Lily's Lake, and we've only done ONE year and ONE summer! Well, you remet Adrienne last chap. This is the last part of summer. Read and review!  
  
Disclaimer- I own nothing. It all belongs to the great Harry Potter people. I'm not getting paid. I'm doing this purely for fun!  
  
Erika - The Legacy of Lily and James  
  
"All right, let me get this straight. Your sister . . ." I started.  
  
"Half-sister," Meg corrected.  
  
I nodded, "All right, your half sister shows up, supposedly 'escapes' from Voldemort, goes to the Ministry, and they say she's innocent?"  
  
"Yes. They tested her under Vertiseruam, but, still," Meg said.  
  
We were sitting in Meg's room. Meg was sitting on her bed, and I was in her desk chair.  
  
"Do you believe her?" I asked.  
  
Meg shrugged, "I don't know. I mean they tested her under the strongest truth potion known to wizard-kind, but Adrienne never struck me as the kind of person to rebel. She was always doing exactly what they told her, and her hands aren't exactly CLEAN."  
  
I nodded in understanding, and finished for her, "And now you're scared they're letting a Death Eater into Hogwarts in the form of your half- sister."  
  
"Exactly," Meg nodded.  
  
"Well," I told her, "At least Dumbledore's coming to see her. If anyone'll see through her, it's Dumbledore. The Minister is even a bit dim at times."  
  
I used Harry's word for Fudge, "dim".  
  
Meg smiled.  
  
Downstairs, the doorbell rang. I stood up.  
  
"That's probably Harry and Sarah. The three of us are going out to dinner," I said.  
  
Meg nodded, "Have fun. I'll see you tomorrow."  
  
"Bye," I told her, and left the room.  
  
* * *  
  
That Night  
  
As told by Megan Alhide Riddle  
  
I woke up sweating, my breath labored. I rolled over in bed, and felt like vomiting.  
  
I slowly sat up, trying to push the bad images that were glued to my eyelids away. But they wouldn't go. I pushed the blankets off me, and got out of the bed. I crossed the room to my window, slightly open to let in the night breeze.  
  
I shut my eyes, and the images struck me like lightning.  
  
People laying dead, wide eyes filled with fear and shock; the Dark Mark in the sky, bright in the darkness, carrying with it fear and death; a small figure, silhoueted in the darkness, surrounded by green light; and then Erika, all I could see was her face, twisted in pain; then darkness, nothing but screams echoing in the darkness.  
  
My eyes flew open, and I nearly cried out. But I kept quiet.  
  
Tomorrow I had to see Dumbledore. I had to. I had to talk to him about Adrienne, and what I'd just Seen.  
  
Slowly, I moved to my desk, and sat down to write what I'd just Seen, promising myself I wouldn't tell Erika about what I'd seen about her. It's better for people to reach their past without knowing, without expecting.  
  
* * *  
  
As told by Erika Rose Potter  
  
A week before school started again, Harry and I went to Diagon Alley to get my school supplies. Which, this year, included a broom for me. Harry was deadset on me making the Quidditch Team, and I wasn't too deadset against it myself.  
  
Harry was in a good mood, he'd had a good training class that morning. He'd learned how to block some pretty heavy-duty curses, I guess.  
  
We got my books, some Potions supplies, and so on. We even got me another pair of robes for normal non-Hogwarts wear.  
  
Then we went to look at brooms. The shop was crowded with people talking and looking at the new brooms. We pushed our way through the crowd, and towards the brooms. The shopkeeper caught up with us.  
  
"Hello. How may I help you?" he asked us, putting a pleasant sort of smile.  
  
Harry and I turned around.  
  
"My sister is looking for a broom," Harry said, "Something good for Chasers."  
  
The shopkeeper thought for a moment, and then grinned, motioning for us to follow him.  
  
"I know the perfect broom. It's fast, and manuevarable. It's the next in the Firebolt line, the Firedash," the shopkeeper said, showing us the new broom.  
  
Harry picked up the broom, and examined it, before handing it to me.  
  
"What do you think, Erika?" he asked.  
  
I ran my hands along the smooth wood, and nodded. Harry took out our money, and paid for it. The shopkeeper wrapped it up for me, and we pushed our way out of the shop (I actually had to drag Harry away from some things in that shop).  
  
"I think we spent enough money here today, Harry," I reminded him.  
  
"There's no harm to looking," Harry countered.  
  
I rolled my eyes at him.  
  
The evening before we left for Hogwarts, Anya left to go back to Hogwarts and get ready for her students. Meg came to stay with us for the night. She was quiet and a bit withdrawn that evening, since she had come almost directly from a talk with the Ministry. Dumbledore and Anya were working to try and separate her completely from the Ministry, but it was taking a long time because of money matters. Adrienne had been staying at the Ministry, for lack of a better place to put her.  
  
I tried to get her to talk when we got ready for bed, but it didn't work.  
  
"I don't want to talk about it right now, Erika, later," was what she said, stiffly yet sadly.  
  
So I backed off, and went to bed.  
  
The next morning, as we were riding (in Hermione's borrowed car) to King's Cross, she finally started talking.  
  
"Sorry for being so rude last night," she said, "I was sort of distracted."  
  
I grinned, "It's all right, the Ministry does that to people. You had a good enough reason."  
  
Meg continued, "I'm just not sure about Adrienne. I mean, she helped us a few days ago. I had a Vision. There were Death Eaters, walking up to a house. I saw the mailbox, and the name of the people. I went to the Ministry, and told them about my Vision. I told them who they were going to attack. They called in Adrienne, and she assured them that the people I'd named were on Voldemort's list. Yesterday, they told us that they'd managed to get there before the Death Eaters attacked, and sent the family to somewhere safe. And when the Death Eaters got there, just as I said they would, the Aurors caught them and sent them to Azkaban."  
  
The car was silent for a moment.  
  
"Well, good job then, Meg," I said.  
  
Meg shook her head, "But now I'm not sure about Adrienne! I mean, she could be helping us, or she could be working against us! She helped us with that attack, but she could just be helping us to assure herself a place in the folds of things, and then report to Voldemort."  
  
"You know, Fudge said the same thing about you," Harry reminded her.  
  
"Yes, I know," Meg said, "But you guys trust me, right?"  
  
I nodded, "'Course we trust you, Meg."  
  
"But I don't trust Adrienne," Meg stated.  
  
We arrived at the Station. Harry rounded up some carts, and we put our trunks on them. He had to leave us before we reached the platform, so he wouldn't be late for a class. We waved him off, and I promised to write, before Meg and I continued our walk to the platform.  
  
We wheeled our carts over to the barrier, and, with one hand gripping the carts firmly, leaned against the barrier, and slid through.  
  
"Megan!"  
  
We turned to see a young girl with long blond hair and brown eyes. I looked at Meg, who suddenly went pale.  
  
"Adrienne?" I hissed.  
  
She nodded as the young girl ran over.  
  
"Oh, Megan, I'm so excited, I really am! I'm so happy that they're letting me go to Hogwarts. I'm not under an alias either, not like you were. Dumbledore's decided to let everyone know. Isn't he the best headmaster Hogwarts has ever had?" Adrienne asked.  
  
Meg nodded, but I cold see the cool, reserved, look on her face.  
  
"This is one of the main reasons why I left. I wanted a better education, I wanted to be able study at Hogwarts, like you. Ruth probably would have killed me if she knew," Adrienne added.  
  
Again, Meg nodded. It was the truth. Ruth probably WOULD have killed her. But I still didn't trust the girl. Two Riddles escaping. I trusted Meg completely, I'd seen her battle with Ruth, and I'd seen her anguish when she had to admit it. But I didn't trust this girl one bit.  
  
"You must be Erika," Adrienne said to me, "I'm Adrienne, and very pleased to meet you."  
  
I nodded to her, as she beamed at me.  
  
"Come on, Erika, let's go get a compartment on the train," Meg said to me.  
  
We started to get our cart together again. Meg turned back to her half-sister, and nodded to her.  
  
"See you at Hogwarts, Adrienne," Meg told her.  
  
Adrienne nodded, "See you then!"  
  
Once Adrienne was out of ear shot, Meg whispered to me, "I feel bad for being so rude, but I still don't trust her."  
  
"It's all right," I assured her, "You don't mean to be rude, you're just taking precautions. Besides, it's best she make her own way at Hogwarts."  
  
We pulled our trunks onto the train, and a thought hit me.  
  
"Did you know that it was exactly a year ago we met?" I asked.  
  
Meg nodded, "The thought crossed my mind. Glad to go back?"  
  
"Definetely."  
  
* * *  
  
A distance castle  
  
Ruth yet again stood beside her grandfather, burning with anger. A group of Death Eaters stood before them.  
  
Voldemort was very displeased.  
  
"We lost a group of our Death Eaters to the Ministry. Someone tell me why," Voldemort hissed.  
  
The Death Eaters cringed. A sure punishment awaited them.  
  
But a Death Eater spoke none-the-less, and said, their voice faltering, "We believe that they may have been given information by Megan and Adrienne, and they may of sent the Aurors to stop us."  
  
Voldemort sat back, and ran his finger along his wand, his eyes glittering in hatred.  
  
"I want them dead, them, the Potters, and Jones. Dead! Do you understand? I do not want them tortured. I want them dead!" Voldemort shouted.  
  
The Death Eaters nodded.  
  
"Ruth," Voldemort said, turning to his granddaughter, "It was your job to kill them. It still is, but I will accept no failures. Succeed, and there is an award awaiting you. Fail, and suffer. Do you understand?"  
  
Ruth nodded, "Yes, My Lord."  
  
Voldemort turned back to the Death Eaters, and waved his hands, "Get out of my sight before I kill one of you. Send in Backer."  
  
The Death Eaters hurried to do so, while Ruth stood, pondering. Backer? Who was Backer? The name was unfimiliar.  
  
A small man walked into the room, carrying a huge book.  
  
"Backer, what do you have for me?" Voldemort asked.  
  
"I am still looking, My Lord," Backer replied, quiet.  
  
Ruth loved it how people quaked under their power. Their superiority!  
  
"I can not risk something happening as it did with Potter. I must have eternal life! Then no one can stop me, and the entire world will be ours," Voldemort said.  
  
Backer nodded, "I will continue my search."  
  
"Do so, and do it quickly," Voldemort hissed, "Now go."  
  
Backer turned to go, but Voldemort suddenly said, "Wait."  
  
He turned to his granddaughter, who's eyes were glittering with the fire of anticipation.  
  
"Ruth, you may have this one," he said.  
  
Ruth stepped forward, drawing her wand, and shouted, "Crucio!"  
  
Backer dropped the heavy volume, and fell to the ground, screaming. Ruth laughed at his pain.  
  
"For your tardiness," Voldemort shouted, and nodded to Ruth.  
  
She removed the curse, and stepped back. Backer scurried from the room, leaving grandfather and granddaughter laughing in their power of fear.  
  
A/N- short, again. As previously stated, I have a bout of writer's block, in which no new ideas are coming to me. Thankfully, I have this whole outline written up for this story, so I will keep updating. Thanks again, and REVIEW! I'm very sad, I've had one review for the past three chaps combined! *tear*. Review!!!  
  
Any additional comments can be given to me at StarlightEve111@aol.com 


	19. Questions of Loyalty and Quidditch

A/N- Yet again, I have writer's block, but I will STILL try to get these chapters out. Fanfiction.net has been REALLY unresponsive for me for a while, so that's why 17 was so late. Hopefully, this one will work. Read and review! And, in response to the 5th book. This chapter was written BEFORE it came out, so I don't know what it says. If, in the probable case that, the 5th book makes the facts of this story and Lily's Lake impossible, I will still continue, but it will be slightly AU. Kay? Cool. Read and review!  
  
Disclaimer- I own nothing. It all belongs to the Great Harry Potter people. I'm not getting paid.  
  
Erika - The Legacy of Lily and James  
  
We arrived at Hogwarts at the usual time. By then, everyone was hungry, and looking forward to the feast that awaited us. Meg and I pushed our way, trying to blend into the crowd so we wouldn't have to see Adrienne. Which was very hard considering that everyone took a step back when Meg approached. Afraid she might kill them, I supposed.  
  
Usually you ride in groups of four up to the castle, but we had a carriage all on our own. The general fear of Meg still resided in the students.  
  
"Wonder what they'll do when they find out about Adrienne," I said, "She's not going under an alias, right?"  
  
Meg shook her head, "She's known as Adrienne Riddle. Another presumed 'spy' for Voldemort."  
  
We both scorned.  
  
"It will be kinda funny to see their faces when they call her up," I siad, suddenly grinning, "Sad, but still funny."  
  
* * *  
  
Hogwarts Castle  
  
As told by Anya Jones  
  
Dumbledore, the Hogwarts staff, and I were standing in the Great Hall during the final moments before the students arrived.  
  
"We have a hard year ahead of us. Our enrollment count has dropped as families are moving away, to 'safer' destinations. We house targets of Lord Voldemort, and, now, instead of one Riddle child, we house two; Megan and Adrienne Riddle. Both are innocent children who knew nothing of this. It is our duty to keep them from those who might harm them," Dumbledore said, "But let us also remember that Hogwarts is a school as well as a haven. Let us d our jobs to the best of our ability."  
  
The faculty nodded.  
  
"I must get the first years," McGonagall said, and walked away from the rest of us.  
  
Everyone else moved to their places as the doors opened and the first of the students entered.  
  
* * *  
  
A few minutes later  
  
As told by Erika Potter  
  
Meg and I walked into the Great Hall, talking to each other, and sat at our normal places. Everyone else filed in and took their seats. While Avery, Jewel, and Lucy didn't trust Meg 100% yet, they still took their seats across from us.  
  
"So, Erika, Megan, did you have a nice summer?" Avery asked, her smile looking fixed.  
  
I nodded, "Yes, a very good one. What about you three?"  
  
Avery smiled, "Wonderful. It is good to be back, though, and as second years, isn't it?"  
  
"Yes," I answered, and turned back to Meg.  
  
I rolled my eyes, and then motioned to Avery, Jewel, and Lucy. Meg put her hand to her face to hide her laughter.  
  
I looked up at the High Table. Anya was sitting there, talking with Professor Flitwick. She looked down at us, and waved. Meg and I waved back.  
  
"I can't belive she's back," Jewel said, "I mean, she's probably the first professor in years to actually stay for two years! And after everything that's been happening around here, I'd leave if I were here."  
  
Meg shrugged, and replied, cooly, "She likes it here."  
  
We both knew what she left out: she was safe here, and she was happy here. Personally, I was glad she was here, one of my few connections to my past.  
  
"I wonder I they'll have Sirius Black here again. He was here a lot for the last part of the year," Avery said.  
  
Meg and I exchanged glances, remembering Meg's comment in our apartment, about Anya being anywhere Sirius was bound to be for a while. It must go the other way around, too.  
  
"Oh, I'm sure he'll visit," I said, "Him and Dumbledore are quite close."  
  
We were interuppted by the doors opening and the first years being led in by Professor McGonagall.  
  
They stood in the straight line, and I remembered what it had been like to stand there, staring at the whole school. I picked out Adrienne from the crowd, looking so pale in her black robes and standing out from the rest because how light her hair and skin were. She looked over at us, and smiled. Meg and I didn't return the smile, and directed our attention to the sorting.  
  
While the hat sang away, Meg turned to me.  
  
"What house do you reckon she'll be put in?" Meg asked, her voice a whisper.  
  
"If I were anyone else I'd say Slytherin, going by her last name, but then again, you aren't in Slytherin. So, really, I have no idea. What about you?" I whispered.  
  
Meg was silent, and then shrugged.  
  
We turned back to the sorting, since Avery was shooting us evil looks. McGonagall started calling people up. I paid attention to the best of my ability. Two girls were sorted to Gryffindor, and three boys, before they got to the name that I was waiting for.  
  
"Riddle, Adrienne."  
  
A ripple ran through the crowd. It had the same effect as "Voldermort." People turned to whisper to their friends, and none of them were being quiet about it. One girl actually screamed. I recognized her as someone whose family had been killed by Voldemort, and felt sorry for her. Quite a few people turned to cast Meg evil, suspicious, looks. I saw Meg tense in front of me.  
  
The small figure of Adrienne walked up to the stool. Before the hat was placed over her head, McGonagall gave everyone a look that said "quiet before I give everyone detentions". Everyone shut up, but the anger on everyone's faces was evident.  
  
Adrienne sat there for a full minute, while the hat debated. Meg tensed with every passing second. Anya looked over at Meg, and offered an encouraging smile before turning back to Adrienne.  
  
"RAVENCLAW!"  
  
There were no claps, just utter, angry, hateful, silence. Adrienne slid off the stool as the High Table began clapping. None of the students followed.  
  
I looked up at Snape, who was clapping lightly, glaring at Adrienne's retreating back. Another victim, I thought, and wondered if Snape would be as forgiving as he was the year before, partly out of fright of Meg and partly out of sadness of the memory that the image of Meg forced upon him, of his wife and daughter being killed by a young, but still merciless, Ruth.  
  
Adrienne slid into a seat at the Ravenclaw table, and everyone slid down to be as far away from her as possible.  
  
In front of me, Meg relaxed.  
  
"Not Slytherin," she whispered to me.  
  
Her whisper was the first sound in the Great Hall before the next name was called.  
  
Even after Adrienne had been sorted, the clapping and general cheerfullness of the Great Hall was not the same. The clapping was forced, and the cheerfullness had been replaced with hate and fear. Everyone kept looking over at Meg, and then at Adrienne, expecting one of them to produce a wand and kill everyone in sight.  
  
I almost felt sorry for Adrienne, until I looked at her. She seemed unaware of everyone's feelings, and was merely enjoying the ceremony thoroughly.  
  
McGonagall rolled up her list, and the Sorting Hat was taken away. Dumbledore stood, and said his few words, and then the feast began.  
  
The moment the food appeared, everyone turned to start piling up their plates. Avery was glaring at Meg.  
  
"So one spy isn't good enough for your Dark Lord, is it Riddle? You have to have TWO! Why don't you just kill us and get it over with. I know you're just ITCHING to do it!" Avery shouted.  
  
Everyone who could hear turned to look at us, and went silent.  
  
"Avery, I am NOT a spy!" Meg countered, "I'm a student, just like you! Ask the Ministry! I've been HELPING them, giving them INFORMATION! If anything, I've been spying on Voldemort!"  
  
That comment sent the Great Hall diving into a state of fear and chaos. Meg had said HIS name. I rolled my eyes, and then groaned.  
  
"This is pathetic,you guys! Meg isn't a spy, and we can say his name. Voldemort. Voldemort! VOLDEMORT!" I shouted.  
  
Avery turned to glare at me, "You should know better, you're a Potter!"  
  
"I'm not scared of his name!" I told her, "It's only a name, and besides, don't you think every time someone whispers 'He-Who-Must-Not-Be- Named' he doesn't feel victorious because he's BEAT YOU! Just by making you scared of his name he's BEAT you!"  
  
Megan joined my outburst, "He lives on your fear! He KNOWS you fear him, and that makes him happy! He wants you to be scared of him! If we're scared of him, we'll never be able to face him! And if we never face him, WE WILL DIE! Look around! Half the people in this room are wanted DEAD by him! If we fear him, we've as good as lost! You're a Gryffindor, he'll want you dead too!"  
  
"Are you THREATENING ME?" Avery shouted, standing up, "Are you threatening me, you stupid RIDDLE!"  
  
By now, everyone in the Great Hall was watching, their mouths hanging open. Avery had shouted at Megan Riddle, the grand-daughter of Lord Voldemort. I had stood up for Megan. Both of us had shouted his name. And Avery had accused Megan and Adrienne of being spies.  
  
I had been to busy shouting at Avery to notice Adrienne had stood up from her seat, and walked over to our table.  
  
"Megan is not a spy. Neither am I. Both of us are here at our own risk. Both of us are wanted dead," Adrienne said, cooly, "Who are you, to accuse us of something the Ministry has proven us not to be?"  
  
Avery glared at her, "Everyone is wrong! My parents are angry! They think Megan should never have been permitted to come to Hogwarts. And now that you're here, my parents will be VERY upset! My uncle is on the Board of Governors for this school! He will see to it that both of you are expelled."  
  
"No one will be expelled," Dumbledore said, calmly, from his seat, where he was standing, at the High Table, "Both Megan and Adrienne Riddle are here on my invitation. If the Governors are upset over this, I truly do not care."  
  
The Great Hall was silent.  
  
"Now, Megan and Adrienne Riddle are not spies. They were tested under Vertiseraum, the strongest Truth Potion known to our kind. Now, let us please return to our feast," Dumbledore said, and sat back down.  
  
With one more glare at us, Avery sat down. Adrienne turned, and walked back to the Ravenclaw table, and sat down. Everyone scooted down to be as far away from her as possible. She sat at the end of the table, and ate, looking quite content.  
  
Our part of the table was silent.  
  
At the end of the feast, Dumbledore stood to make his announcements.  
  
"Welcome back to Hogwarts! Before you return to your dormitories, I have a few annoucements. Firstly, Mr. Filch has added Screaching bombs to the list of forbidden items, viewable in his office to anyone who so wishes. The forest on the grounds is forbidden to all students. Quidditch try-outs are to take place the second week of term. If you are interested in playing, see Madame Hooch. That is all. Now, off to bed!" Dumbledore announced.  
  
Everyone stood, and Meg and I followed a prefect to the tower, where we were told the new password.  
  
Up in our room, Avery, Jewel, and Lucy were talking about their summer on Avery's bed. Meg and I sat down on Meg's bed, in the corner, and talked quietly.  
  
"Well, tonight was different," I whispered.  
  
Meg nodded, and glared at Avery, "I'm sick of people thinking I'm a spy. I'm trying my best to help protect them, and they are just making it harder!"  
  
I shrugged, "They'll figure it out soon enough. I think the only reason Avery got mad was because of Adrienne. She was just starting to get used to the idea when, poof, another Riddle shows up."  
  
"I shouldn't have exploded like that, though. Now everyone's going to think I'm a spy with a anger management problem," Meg said.  
  
"No, they won't," I assured her, "You're quiet enough, usually. They won't think you have an anger management problem, they'll just think you'd finally had enough, and spoke out."  
  
Meg sighed, and told me, "Anya doesn't like me going to the Ministry for questioning."  
  
"Really?" I asked.  
  
Meg nodded, "She doesn't trust them. She trusts Dumbledore a whole lot more than she trusts them."  
  
I nodded, "I can see them. The Ministry failed her when she needed them the most. Almost all her friends are gone. She's only got a few left. Dumbledore's actually working to stop Voldemort directly. The Ministry is beating around the bush, pretending their helping, but not really doing anything but trying to cover their butts using you and what you See."  
  
Meg laughed at the way I put it, but admitted, "That is true."  
  
"You know how I keep myself going?" I asked, "I remember that eventually, this has to end. Voldemort's reign will end. What goes up, has to come down. Laws of the universe."  
  
Meg smiled, but reminded me, "Wizards defy laws of the universe on a daily basis."  
  
"Well then," I replied, smiling, "We'll just have to make sure that this law is kept, at least in Voldemort's case."  
  
"Deal," Meg said.  
  
We both laughed, causing Avery, Jewel, and Lucy to look over at us.  
  
"What are you two so happy about?" Jewel asked.  
  
"We're planning how to cause Voldemort's downfall," I answered, grinning at them.  
  
They glared at us, mostly for mentioning his name, and partly just for joking about it, even if we weren't joking.  
  
I rolled my eyes at them, and said, "Well, tomorrow's the first day of classes. Better get some sleep or I just might forget everything else I forgot over the summer."  
  
"You do know that made no sense," Meg said.  
  
I nodded, and replied, "Of course, I'm not COMPLETELY daft."  
  
We laughed, and I climbed into my own bed, happy to be back at Hogwarts, but sad because I partly missed our apartment in London, and my brother, Hermione, and Ron.  
  
A few days later I was talking to Meg at the breakfast table, when I very happily saw Hedwig fly into the Great Hall with the rest of the owls.  
  
She dropped a package in front of me, which I hurridly opened.  
  
"Yum . . . fudge," I said, looking at the package of wrapped fudge.  
  
I opened the letter attached to it. An article fell out, which I set aside, and read the letter from Harry.  
  
"Dear Erika, How are you? How are things at Hogwarts? Are your classes going well so far? We're getting along fine here, though the cooking isn't half as good without you there to yell at us for doing it wrong. Sarah wants me to tell you she got a job in London, and an apartment, too. She made you the fudge as a back-to-school present. How is Megan? Don't forget about Quidditch try-outs. Good luck on them, too. Well, I have to go. Have fun. Harry. P.S. - I want you to read this article."  
  
I took a piece of parchment and quill, and quickly wrote a reply.  
  
"Harry, I'm fine. Hogwarts is still standing, though the professors all seem stressed. Classes are fine. Please don't burn down the apartment building! Tell Sarah I said congratulations and thanks for the fudge, it's great, Meg and I already ate a bit of it. Meg's fine. We had a little spat with Avery Hide at the Welcoming Feast, but everything's all right now, wary, but all right. I won't forget about Quidditch, either, I'm just as excited about it as you are. Here's a bit of news: Adrienne, remember her, was sorted into Ravenclaw. She's pretty much a loner. No one will talk to her, save a few occasional words from Meg and I. If they have to adress her, they call her "the Riddle girl". It's a bit sad. Tell Ron, Hermione, and Sarah I said hi. Erika."  
  
I gave my letter to Hedwig, who took off.  
  
Meg, who had been reading the article, handed it to me and said, "Read this."  
  
I took it from her, and read it over. It was a Daily Prophet Article, about Adrienne coming to Hogwarts. It said all sorts of things about spies, Voldemort, and much more.  
  
"Great, this is bloody stupid!" I complained, putting the article down, "Talk about not giving you guys any time to let people trust you. They're ALWAYS pointing fingers at you. You should complain."  
  
Meg rolled her eyes, "Like they'd listen to me. Erika, come on, they think I'm a spy, a Death Eater."  
  
I shrugged, "We have to do something. How is anyone going to trust you with the Daily Prophet throwing all sorts of suggestions about you being a Death Eater into peoples' faces?"  
  
Meg sighed, and whispered, "I dunno."  
  
I couldn't have asked for a better day for Quidditch try-outs. The Saturday dawned beautifully, and at noon, there was still not a cloud in the sky. After lunch, Meg and I went back up to our room. I changed into a pair of robes that we had bought in Diagon Alley, and tied my hair back into a ponytail. Examining myself in the mirror, I nodded.  
  
"Come on," I said, and grabbed my broom.  
  
Meg and I walked down to the Quidditch pitch. I was VERY nervous. Slytherin and Hufflepuff had had their try-outs in the morning. Gryffindor's was at 2:00 pm, and Ravenclaw's was at 4.  
  
When we arrived it was 1:53 pm, according to my watch.  
  
Meg was going to watch me from the stands, for "moral support". I was sure I'd need it. I was feeling queasy.  
  
"You'll be great," Meg assured me.  
  
We walked up to the registration table, where Madame Hooch was sitting, writing down names.  
  
"Erika Potter, second year," I said, "For the position of Chaser."  
  
Madame Hooch nodded, and wrote "Potter, Erika" in the name column, "2" in the year column, and "Chaser" in the position column.  
  
She handed me a piece of paper with a number on it, which I pinned to my robes. Meg and I went to sit down on the side with the rest of the Gryffindors trying out. The team was standing on the ground, watching us.  
  
I counted them. There were only a few positions open, one for Keeper, because Ron had left, one for Seeker, because Harry had left, and one for Chaser because the third chaser had decided to try out for Keeper instead. The third chaser had to try out, as did all the subs. There were five others trying out for Chaser, and three of them were the subs from the year before.  
  
I felt sick.  
  
"You're going to be great," Meg kept telling me.  
  
Finally, the try-outs started. The first position they tried out for was Keeper, then Beater, then Chaser.  
  
We all had to mount our brooms, and hover at about fifty feet from the ground while they threw Quaffles at us. Occasionally we'd have to move to catch one. Once, the person throwing the Quaffle at me threw it too far to the side that I couldn't just reach. I had to quickly tip my broom, catch it, and tip back up, very quickly. I did so, since Harry, Ron, Fred, and George had gone through that drill with me.  
  
Next, we had to speed-fly up and down the pitch several times. Then there was an obstical course.  
  
Once we dismounted, they dismissed us for the Seeker try-out, telling us that we'd be informed the following day on the list of who made the team.  
  
I felt I did pretty good, considering before the try-out I felt I was going to puke. But the moment I was in the air, it was so strange, I nearly forgot that I was trying-out, and just had fun doing what they told me to.  
  
When we came down from our room the next morning, the list was posted in the Common room of those who made it. The moment I saw it, I turned around with the inention of going back upstairs.  
  
"Oh, no, you're looking at that list," Meg said.  
  
I shook my head, "I can't!"  
  
"Sure you can't! You faced Ruth, didn't you? You can do this! It's just a bunch of writing on a piece of paper," Meg told me.  
  
"A bunch of writing telling me wether or not I'm a good Quidditch player," I said.  
  
Meg rolled her eyes, and led me down the stairs.  
  
Grimly, we started walking towards the list. A third year who had tried out for Seeker turned around, and saw me. She smiled.  
  
"Erika! Congratulations! We're playing together!" she said.  
  
I frowned, "What?"  
  
She rolled her eyes, and smiled, "I made Seeker and you made Chaser!"  
  
"I made Chaser?" I asked.  
  
She nodded. I went up to the list, and looked at the paper. Sure enough, it said Chaser- Erika Potter.  
  
"I did it!" I shouted.  
  
A/N- that's chapter 18 for ya. Erika made Chaser! A little cliché, I know, but you'll have to deal. Trust me, the rest of this WON'T be cliché, except for maybe little bits here and there. Next chapter, something serious happens in Hogwarts that puts all the students on the list of the suspicious, especially Adrienne and Megan. Enjoy! Review!  
  
Any additional comments can be given to me at StarlightEve111@aol.com. P.S. - I love getting emails *winks*. 


	20. The Matter of Poison

Authors Note- Hiya again, all! I hope y'all liked the last chapter. I'm sad, since my reviewing frequency has DROPPED dramatically, but, oh, well, I'll still write this. I actually like this plot that I keep forming in my head. It's fun. I'm sure you guys will love the ending to this story. I'm excited about HP5, as is everyone. But let's get this chap over with! Yeah! Okay, this chapter has a lot of suspicion in it. Forgive spelling errors. Read and Review!  
  
Disclaimer- I own nothing! It all belongs to the Wonderful Harry Potter people. I am NOT getting paid, at ALL!!!!  
  
Erika - The Legacy of Lily and James  
  
It had been a little over a week since I had made the Quidditch team. I was still pretty happy, and looking forward to the start of practice. Of course, I was also keeping up with my studies.  
  
It was a Tuesday morning. It was a good morning, since Meg hadn't had any nightmares the night before, which said something. If she wasn't Seeing in her sleep, she sometimes had nightmares about Ruth.  
  
We left Avery, Jewel, and Lucy in our room. They were still mad at us for yelling at Avery at the feast, and the fact that, so far, the Board of Governors was ignoring Avery's complaint about Meg and Adrienne.  
  
It was still early when we got to the Great Hall. A few students were all ready there, including Adrienne. She was pretty much a loner. No one talked to her, and she sat alone at meals and classes. And, so far, she looked like it didn't bother her. That particular morning, she had her face buried in a book. When we walked in, she waved. We slowly smiled at her, still not trusting her completely, and sat down at our seats.  
  
The enchanted ceiling showed a partly cloudy day, which showed promise for a sunny afternoon.  
  
The food was all ready there, and Meg and I started to fill our plates with toast, eggs, and pancakes.  
  
"I can't believe we got a test this early in! And most of the material was from last year! How was I supposed to remember the exact year Marvin the Mysterious killed that one guy? What was his name anyway?" I asked.  
  
Meg shrugged, "I think it was something like . . . oh, I can't remember. Binns was probably making sure we were paying attention."  
  
"No one was," I pointed out.  
  
Meg nodded, "True."  
  
I grinned, and took a sip of my Pumpkin juice. After it was swallowed, I grimaced.  
  
"What?" Meg asked.  
  
"This juice is warm," I said, and set down my goblet, "It must've sat here for a little while."  
  
Meg shrugged, "What did you get for that question about the Goblin Rebellion, you know, 65 or something like that?"  
  
I thought for a moment, and asked, "You mean sixty-seven? I guessed."  
  
"Me too," Meg admitted.  
  
We both laughed. But I stopped in mid-laugh.  
  
It felt like a fire was suddenly blazing through my viens. I opened my mouth to cry out, but all that came out was a weak whimper.  
  
"Erika?" Meg asked.  
  
Everything was on fire. Burning, burning. It hurt so much. Everything felt so weak, and I couldn't fight it.  
  
My vision was going dizzy, and my head burned. Then everything went black.  
  
* * * A moment before  
  
As told by Megan Alhide Riddle  
  
Erika suddenly became ghostly pale, and stopped laughing. She froze, but her eyes started rolling in her head. She let out a whimper.  
  
"Erika?" I asked, confused.  
  
Her head started to roll on her neck, and then, a moment later, she collapsed, falling off the bench onto the floor. Her plate, where her hand had been resting, clattered to the floor. I quickly knelt beside her.  
  
"Erika? Are you okay?" I asked.  
  
Again, she didn't answer. I went to touch her arm, but the moment I touched her skin I drew my hand back in pain. She was very, very, warm.  
  
Anya walked into the Great Hall, and saw what was going on. Everyone had turned to look as Erika laid on the floor, unconcious.  
  
"Meg? My goodness, Erika!" she shouted, and ran over.  
  
She, too, knelt beside her. Anya went to touch her forehead, but drew her hand back in the same effect that her skin had on me.  
  
"Quickly! Someone get the Headmaster!" Anya shouted.  
  
Someone scurried from the room to do so.  
  
"Meg, what happened?" Anya asked.  
  
"I don't know. We were just sitting here, talking, and she got all pale and fell down," I cried, "Is she okay?"  
  
Anya shook her head, "I don't know. What did you do? What did she do when she came in?"  
  
I tried to remember, "We took our food, were talking, Erika took a sip of her drink, and said something about it being warm, we talked for a bit, and then this happened!"  
  
Anya's eyes widened, and she reached up to Erika's forgotten goblet. She smelt it, and then grimaced.  
  
"Poison," she whispered.  
  
It was my turn to widen my eyes, and I choked, "Poison?"  
  
At that word, everyone who'd gathered around to see what was happening gasped. There were footsteps, and Dumbledore ran in, closely followed by McGonagall.  
  
"What is going on?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
Anya looked up, and answered, "I think Erika has been poisoned, Headmaster. Through her drink."  
  
"Can you tell with poison?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
Anya shook her head.  
  
Quickly, Dumbledore conjured a stretcher, and we pulled her onto it. She groaned, and rolled over. Anya, McGonagall, Dumbledore, and I walked with her up to the Hospital Wing, leaving the rest of the professors to order the rest of the students to touch nothing, while they examined the remainder of the meal.  
  
It took Madam Pomfrey, who could usually look at a person's ailments and know right away what was wrong, a full hour to figure out what sort of poison had been used. When she came back to tell us (we were all sitting outside the Hospital Wing, waiting), her face was grim.  
  
"I'm afraid, Headmaster, that she was poisoned with Slauter Potion," Madam Pomfrey said.  
  
Everyone gasped, except me.  
  
"The what?" I asked.  
  
"Are you quite sure?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
Madam Pomfrey nodded, "Yes, yes, I'm sure."  
  
"Oh, no," Anya whispered.  
  
"What's the Slauter Potion?" I asked.  
  
Anya turned to face me. She was sitting beside me. Her face was white, and she looked quite sad.  
  
"The Slauter Potion is what happens when a certain Truth Potion is mixed wrongly. It was given it's name as a ploy on what it does, slaughter. It's effect takes a few seconds to spread throughout the viens before delivering it's fierce blow. Three sips is enough to kill a person," Anya explained.  
  
I gasped, and whispered, "No."  
  
Then I remembered something, and brightened up, "Erika only took one sip! She won't die!"  
  
Madam Pomfrey nodded, and said, "Yes, she won't die. But, unfortunately, the antidote will take about a week to make."  
  
"A week?" I repeated.  
  
"Yes. It's a very hard potion," Madam Pomfrey said.  
  
Flitwick and Snape ran in. They had been set to examine the remaining food.  
  
"Yes?" Dumbledore asked, "Was anymore poison found?"  
  
Snape nodded, and said, "There was poison in the goblets of Erika Potter, as well as Megan and Adrienne Riddle."  
  
I let out a squeak. Someone had tried to kill me just like they'd tried to kill Erika, and Adrienne as well.  
  
"Some of the other professors are bringing it to your office, Headmaster," Snape added.  
  
Dumbledore nodded, "Severus, would you please go there? I wish to examine the potion myself. I shall be there momentarily. Minerva, would you please send an owl to Harry, he should know about his sister's condition. Anya, find Adrienne Riddle, and bring both her and Megan to my office."  
  
Everyone scurried to do as told. Anya took my hand.  
  
"Come, Megan, let's find Adrienne," Anya said.  
  
Once we were away from the Hospital Wing, Anya started talking again.  
  
"I can hardly believe this is happening. Someone tried to kill you three! And the only ones who could have had access to your drinks were in Hogwarts! Oh, this is horrible! We have a traitor in Hogwarts," Anya started, "Thank goodness none of you were hurt. I couldn't image if you had!"  
  
"We're fine," I assured her, "Adrienne and I didn't drink any, and Erika didn't drink enough to do any serious damage. She'll just be sick for a week."  
  
Anya shook her head, but was silent.  
  
We found Adrienne in the Library, reading over in a corner. I expected she wasn't liked in her common room.  
  
"Miss Riddle," Anya said, "The Headmaster wants to see you."  
  
Adrienne nodded, she'd been expecting it, and put her book inside her bed. She followed us to Dumbledore's office.  
  
When we entered Dumbledore was talking to Snape about the poison.  
  
"Yes, heavy doses of Slauter Potion," Dumbledore murmmured, and then noticed we had walked into the room.  
  
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Adrienne go white at the mention of the poisonous potion that had been used.  
  
"Thank you for your help, Severus," Dumbleodore said.  
  
Snape nodded, and left. Adrienne and I sat down in the chairs facing Dumbledore.  
  
"You two and Miss Potter were intentionally poisoned with very heavy doses of Slauter poison, in hopes to kill you, this morning. By some miracle, Miss Potter was the only one who drank the poison, and only in a small quantity. She will recover with the antidote. However, this means that someone in Hogwarts is untrustworthy, and wants the three of you dead. We must take measures to protect you the best we can. There is a certain spell, that when cast on food and drink, tells you wether or not it is poisoned. I want you, Miss Potter, and Professor Jones to use this charm before you eat or drink anything. Professor Jones will teach you the charm. Be careful, and never forget," Dumbledore said.  
  
We nodded, though Adrienne was still very white. With that, Dumbledore dismissed us.  
  
"Come, we'll go to my classroom, I don't have a class this hour," Anya said.  
  
We followed her to the DADA classroom. She started to teach us the charm. It was quite simple, when done right. In a half an hour, we both had the charm right.  
  
"Now, if there is poison in it, your food or drink will glow green. Find an adult right away, and tell them. Do not touch it," Anya warned us.  
  
We nodded in agreement, and then left. I headed towards the Hospital Wing, but Adrienne grabbed my arm to stop me.  
  
"Will Erika be okay?" Adrienne asked.  
  
I nodded, "Yes, the antidote will be ready in a week."  
  
Adrienne looked down, and asked, quietly, "Do you think it's Ruth? Do you think Ruth's behind this?"  
  
"Yes," I replied, simply, and left.  
  
Could Adrienne be the one who had poisoned us? Of course, she had poison in her cup, too, but she might have known, and only put it in her goblet as a cover up, never intending to drink it.  
  
I wasn't the only one at the Hospital Wing. Ginny Weasley was there as well.  
  
"Is she going to be okay?" Ginny asked when I got there.  
  
"Yeah, they're making the antidote as we speak. It'll be ready in a week," I answered, and looked through the doors.  
  
You couldn't see Erika, Madam Pomfrey had put up a screen.  
  
"Nobody's allowed to see her except the professors, I already asked," Ginny told me.  
  
I sighed, and whispered, "I expected that."  
  
McGonagall rushed over, and saw us there. She sighed, and came over to us.  
  
"Miss Weasley, Miss Riddle, I know you are both quite worried about Miss Potter, but standing here will do her no good. Now, why don't you go to your classes? After classes, I'll ask Madam Pomfrey if you may be permitted to see Miss Potter," McGonagall said.  
  
We sighed, but left, returning to our classes.  
  
I went to History. The classes had started late due to the fact that all the professors had been trying to set everything right after the poison. But I was still late.  
  
When I walked in, the entire class turned to look at me. Professor Binns just motioned for me to sit, which I did.  
  
I barely made it through the day. I didn't hear what any of my teachers were saying, and got a lot of attention at lunch, when Adrienne, Anya, and I all cast our charms on our food.  
  
After classes, I went straight to the Hospital Wing. I met Ginny halfway there, and we walked together. McGonagall was true to her word. Madam Pomfrey let us visit her, for five minutes.  
  
It was something, so we went in.  
  
Erika was laying on a cot. She was white, and was moaning and twisting on the cot.  
  
"Is it true?" Ginny whispered to me, "Did they use the Slauter potion?"  
  
I nodded.  
  
"Erika, it's me, Meg, and Ginny's here, too," I said, "Good news, they're making your antidote. You won't be sick much longer."  
  
Erika didn't show any sign of hearing us. She just tossed her head to the opposite side, and moaned.  
  
"Everyone's fine, but really worried," I added.  
  
Again, there was no sign that she heard us.  
  
I heard pounding footsteps, and turned to see Harry walking in with Dumbledore.  
  
"How is she?" Harry asked me.  
  
I shrugged, and looked back down.  
  
"Erika, it's Harry, I'm here," Harry whispered to her.  
  
She didn't respond.  
  
"Does anyone have any idea who did this?" Harry asked, looking up at Ginny and I.  
  
We shook our heads, answering in the negative.  
  
Madam Pomfrey rushed in.  
  
"You're time is up. Out! My patient is ill, and needs medical attention! Out!" Madam Pomfrey ordered.  
  
"Just a few more minutes?" I asked.  
  
Madam Pomfrey shook her head, "No, now leave!"  
  
We gave in, and did as told. Harry left us to go to Dumbledore's office and talk to him about what was happening. Ginny and I walked back to the tower together. The Common Room was mostly empty. I went up to my dorm, keen on taking a rest, to find Avery, Jewel, and Lucy already there, looking enraged.  
  
Avery, who always spoke for the three of them, started on me when I walked in.  
  
"HOW COULD YOU?" Avery asked, "She thought of you as her best friend!"  
  
I turned to look at her, "What are you talking about?"  
  
"As if you don't KNOW! You tried to kill Erika and that other spy! Didn't want any competition, a bit keen on getting You-Know-Who's favor, were you? You BETRAYER! YOU STUPID GIT!"  
  
I stared at her, and then hissed, "Why would I try to kill my best friend, the best friend I've EVER had?"  
  
"You're a Death Eater, I don't try to understand the workings of your TWISTED and EVIL mind!" Avery countered, "You just wait! After this they won't have any CHOICE but to expell you!"  
  
"I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING! ASK DUMBLEDORE!" I shouted.  
  
Avery kept her nose raised in the air, "Dumbledore trusts too easily. He'll trust anyone that says they've turned from the dark side, even if it's You-Know-Who's GRAND-DAUGHTER!" With that, she turned and left the room, shortly followed by Jewel and Lucy. I was sad that night. Yet again, they slept in the Common Room. I was alone in our room. The few people that trusted me, no one believed.  
  
The third day into Erika's illness she hadn't changed. I spent most of my time in the Hospital Wing, or sitting outside it. Harry was staying at Hogwarts, too, to keep an eye on Erika, and to make sure she recovered. Avery, Jewel, and Lucy remained sleeping in the Common Room. Adrienne, too, was having problems. No one trusted her either. I didn't fully, either, but I still nearly felt sorry for her. I could still remember her as a child, eager to learn anything she could, anything Grandfather would let her.  
  
It was that eagerness that made my distrust grow deeper. If she was so eager, she would gladly agree to act as Grandfather's and Ruth's spy at Hogwarts.  
  
* * * That night  
  
Dumbledore's Office  
  
As told by Harry James Potter  
  
Dumbledore sat opposite of me, at his desk. My sister was still ill, lying in the Hospital Wing while the antidote that would revive her was made.  
  
"Have you told her yet?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
I shook my head, "No, not yet. I don't want to tell her, either."  
  
"Eventually, however, you will have to tell her. I think she would appreciate hearing it from you, not from one of us," Dumbledore reminded me.  
  
"Yes, I know. It's simply that it's still so new to me to have a sister, and I don't really want to ruin it all by telling her the truth," I answered.  
  
Dumbledore sighed, "I know you think we should have told you sooner, but you know why we didn't. The secret was hidden so elaborately that even the slightest comment could have hinted certain people off, and it would have been for nothing."  
  
"I know, I know," I said, "I suppose I have to tell her, then."  
  
Dumbledore nodded, "Yes, and the sooner the better. Things are getting worse, the Order is being overworked. Voldemort's power is growing with every day. He has overpassed his power from earlier times, before he rose again."  
  
I nodded. I knew.  
  
"You must tell her. When she is better," Dumbledore said.  
  
"I will," I decided.  
  
* * * The end of the week  
  
As told by Megan Alhide Riddle  
  
The seventh day had come. The antidote was ready. Harry, Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, Anya, Ginny, and I all gathered around her bed while the antidote was given to her. Anya and Professor McGonagall were holding her arms to keep her from moving while Madam Pomfrey tipped her head back and poured the potion into her mouth. She spit the first sip out.  
  
"That's to be expected, and it's a good sign. Shows she concious. The potion doesn't taste very good," she told us, causing a bit of relaxation in the tenseness.  
  
Erika swallowed the second sip, and stopped struggling.  
  
"Only a bit more," Madam Pomfrey said, and put some more potion into Erika's mouth.  
  
After the sixth sip, Erika's eyes opened.  
  
"Not quite yet, Miss Potter. Two more sips," Madam Pomfrey whispered.  
  
After the seventh Erika made a face when the potion was put in her mouth. After the eight sip was swallowed, everyone relaxed.  
  
"Well, very good," Madam Pomfrey said, and set the goblet on the table, "Miss Potter, can you hear me?"  
  
Erika nodded, and opened her mouth to speak, but all that came out was a slight groaning noise.  
  
"Good. You won't be able to speak for a few minutes, not fully at least. And your limbs will be a bit sore for a few days, but, you'll make a fully recovery," Madam Pomfrey said, not only to her but to all of us.  
  
"Erika, you had us so worried!" I told her, sitting on the foot of the bed.  
  
Erika smiled, and made another effort to speak, but it didn't work.  
  
"We are very glad to have you awake again, Miss Potter," Dumbledore agreed, smiling at Erika.  
  
Erika leaned back against the metal headrest, and coughed.  
  
"Tastes bad," she whispered, her voice dry and cracked.  
  
We laughed, and Anya said, "Yes, we heard."  
  
"Is everyone else okay?" she asked.  
  
"You were the only one who drank the poison," Dumbledore informed her, "And you were very lucky that Professor Snape discovered what poison it was. Had he not, you may have died."  
  
Erika grinned, "Remind me to thank him."  
  
Two days later, Erika was released from the Hospital Wing, despite Madam Pomfrey's constant protest. Harry hadn't left the school yet, which I was curious about, but said nothing about.  
  
Erika was taught the charm, and used it right alongside me. We started making a game out of it, seeing who could check their food and drink the fastest. Anya said we were being silly, and should stop.  
  
"You have to be thorough. Racing each other is not going to help," she scolded us.  
  
The day after Erika got out of the Hospital Wing, Harry met us at dinner.  
  
"I'm leaving tomorrow morning," he told us, "Erika, I want to talk to you after dinner. In Dumbledore's office. Okay?"  
  
Erika nodded, "Sure. Why did you stick around so long, anyway? I'm fine."  
  
Harry ran his hand through his hair and shook his head, "You'll see. I have to go."  
  
And he left the Great Hall. Erika made a face.  
  
"He's hiding something from me. I know it. I can tell, you see, not only did he cut his conversation short, but he messed up his hair. He's worried about something, and he's going to tell me tonight," Erika explained.  
  
I raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Brother-sister thing," Erika said, shortly.  
  
I nodded, and rolled my eyes, returning to my food.  
  
* * * That night  
  
As told by Erika Rose Potter  
  
Harry was waiting for me in Dumbledore's office. Dumbledore was feeding his pet phoenix, Fawkes, and Harry was looking out the window, looking quite worried.  
  
"Ah, Miss Potter," Dumbledore said when I entered, "Good to see you are back to normal. How are you feeling?"  
  
I shrugged, "My arms hurt occasionally, but I'm fine otherwise."  
  
"Good, good," Dumbledore said.  
  
Harry had turned to face me. He didn't look so good himself, and I decided that Dumbledore should be asking HIM how he was feeling, not me.  
  
"Erika, we have to talk," Harry told me.  
  
A/N- well, that's that chapter. In chapter 20, we get a full explination of something, and I've already decided how Erika's going to take it. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I know it took me a little while to get out, but I've been really busy. I hope you can find it in yourself to forgive me and REVIEW. Also, I know this doesn't exactly run with the OoTP, but oh well. I will have the general plot out line, but *SPOILERS* I'm not going to have Sirius die. So, that's it. REVIEW!!!!  
  
Any additional comments can be given to me at StarlightEve111@aol.com 


	21. Stand by Him

Author's Note- Hi everyone! This is chapter 20 of Erika. I know the last chap was sorta cliched, but I couldn't help it. I needed something like that to get Harry to come to the school and talk to Erika. In this chappie, Harry tells Erika all, which will be quite fun. Hehe. Read and review.  
  
Disclaimer- I own nothing. It all belongs to the great Harry Potter people. I'm certainly not getting paid. I'm broke, so you won't get anything from sueing me.  
  
Erika - The Legacy of Lily and James  
  
"What do you have to talk to me about?" I asked, looking at my brother.  
  
Dumbledore nodded to Harry, "If you have any need of me I shall be in the next room."  
  
Confused, I watched Dumbledore leave and Harry bit his lip.  
  
"Erika, there's something I gotta tell you. I should've told you before, I know . . . Uh, why don't we sit down?" Harry suggested.  
  
I sat down in one of the chairs across from Dumbledore's desk. Harry sat down in the other one.  
  
There was silence for a moment, and then I asked, "So, what did you want to talk to me about?"  
  
"Um, you know how I told you that Voldemort was after us because of our family?" Harry asked.  
  
I nodded, and said slowly, "Yeah."  
  
"Well, that's only part of the truth. He is after us because of our family, but there's also more . . . This is sorta hard to explain . . . I mean, our family was really powerful and talented, but that's not the only reason he came after us. He, uh, was after me."  
  
"You?" I asked.  
  
Harry nodded, "Yeah. You see, there's this prophecy about the only person who could destroy him, or whatever. They said that the only person who could do it would be born at the end of July, to parents who had defied Voldemort three times."  
  
"You were born at the end of July," I whispered.  
  
Again, Harry nooded, "Yes, and so was a boy I know, Neville. You remember him? Well, the prophecy could have referred to either one of us, except for the next part. It said the Voldemort would mark him as his equal. Which Voldemort did when he tried to kill me. He tried to kill me, not Neville, because he feared the power I might have, due to my parents. You see, Dumbledore didn't know about the rest of the prophecy and the whole 'marking'. He only knew that the person who could bring about his downfall would be born at the end of July to parents who had defied him three times. When he didn't kill me, he marked me, and made me the one that prophecy referred to, not Neville."  
  
I was silent, trying to sum it all up in my head.  
  
Harry paused, and then said, "There's one other thing about the prophecy. I can't live while he does."  
  
"But you're alive, and he's alive," I pointed out, "So you are living at the same time as him."  
  
Harry shook his head, "That's not what it means. It means that I have to kill him, or he'll kill me."  
  
Silence. Harry quickly continued, he didn't want to give me time to respond.  
  
"When he tried to kill me, he connected us in a very strange way. I can tell what he's feeling, and I can sometimes see what he's doing, or I can feel him inside of me. I . . . I learned to fight it over the years, but it's still there. I've only felt it once since I met you, but I've also learned to push it back," Harry said.  
  
I finally spoke, "Either you kill him, or he kills you?"  
  
"Yeah," Harry said, and nodded.  
  
I was silent again, thinking it over in my head. How could Harry kill him? If he didn't, he'd kill Harry, eventually.  
  
"No one expected it to take this long. They all thought it'd be over by now . . . but it's not, and everyone wants it to be over. Everyone's sick of Voldemort being around and they want it done with. But I can't just go after him, I don't know if I can do it . . ."  
  
I held up my hand, and asked, "Why didn't you tell me before?"  
  
Harry blinked, and said, "I didn't want to tell you before. I mean, suddenly, I had a sister and I wasn't alone in the world and I could pretend that everything that was supposed to happen wouldn't happen. I could just be a normal person with a sister, and actually be happy. But then, this past week, Voldemort came after you. And, he doesn't just want to kill you because you're the daughter of Lily and James Potter-don't get me wrong, he hates our family with a passion-but because you're my sister. I still didn't want to tell you, even though I know you had a right to know . . ."  
  
"You're right, I have a right to know! Harry, I'm your SISTER! I should've known from the beginning! YOU SHOULD'VE TOLD ME!" I shouted, standing up, "I mean, come on, right now, we're the only family each other has. I mean, sure, sometimes I can get REALLY mad at you, which I am right now, but you're still my brother, you're still family, you're still blood, and I deserved to know."  
  
Harry was silent.  
  
"I . . . I don't know what to say, I mean. I can't believe this. It seems surreal," I said, "I . . . I've gotta go."  
  
"Erika, wait," Harry said.  
  
But it was too late, I'd already opened the office door and was walking down the stairs.  
  
When I got back to the Tower, the Common Room was still full. I ignored everyone, and ran up the stairs to our dorm. Meg was laying on her bed, reading another book on Seeing (which was most everything she read).  
  
"Hey, what's wrong?" Meg asked, sitting up and seeing my face.  
  
"Did you know?" I asked, and then, talking more to myself than her, "How could you not have known? I mean, you know more about my family than I do. You must've known. That stupid prophecy!"  
  
Meg was silent, and then whispered, "The prophecy?"  
  
"You did know! Why didn't you tell me?" I asked.  
  
"I thought you knew! I thought Harry would tell you," Meg answered, shocked and setting her book down.  
  
"You'd think so, wouldn't you? No, he just told me now," I said, and threw myself on my bed, "I can't believe it. How can he kill the most powerful Dark Lord the world's seen yet? I mean, he's just . . ."  
  
"The only one that can do it," Meg finished for me, even if it wasn't what I was going to say.  
  
I sighed, "Meg, what am I supposed to do?"  
  
Meg shrugged, "You just got be his sister. That's what he needs know. A sister. Keeps him down to Earth."  
  
I laughed, and said, "Look at the two of us, both of us stressed out about our siblings. Only difference is . . ."  
  
"My sister's trying to kill me and you're brother is trying to kill my grandfather," Meg said, "Not THAT big of a difference."  
  
We both laughed, and, once the laugh was done, I sighed and shut my eyes.  
  
The next morning, I avoided the Great Hall since I didn't want to face Harry, and he'd be there eating breakfast before he left. My first class was DADA, so I headed up to the classroom. It was locked, as usual. Anya would be at breakfast with everyone else.  
  
So I leaned against the stone walls and let myself slide down to the ground, my bag sitting beside me.  
  
I sighed, and hit my head against the stones.  
  
"How could this be happening?" I whispered.  
  
It was then that I heard the footsteps, walking up the staircase that led to the hallway where the DADA classroom was located. Curious, I looked to see who it was.  
  
Anya Jones stood on the threshold, frowning in a mix of sadness and pity.  
  
"So, Erika," she whispered, "Dumbledore just told me that Harry told you . . . about the prophecy."  
  
I shook my head, and asked, bitterly, "Did EVERYONE know but me? Honestly!"  
  
Anya sighed, and walked quickly across the hallway until she was sitting beside me.  
  
"Erika, Harry didn't want to tell you because he was enjoying himself, having a sister, being a big brother, and not being alone anymore. Harry may have two of the best friends there is, but on the family part, he was virtually alone, and that hurt him, very badly. I . . . I watched you both grow up, from a distance, making myself look like a casual person walking past you, but I saw what Harry went through, and you saw it too. The Dursleys weren't family to him, they were just people who he was forced to live with. There were so many times I wanted to just run in there and take him away, but I knew I couldn't. He was safe there, just like you were at the Orphanage.  
  
"And then, you showed up and he was no longer alone. Why do you think he was so accepting when he was told that you were his sister? He wanted you to be, so desperately that he would've believed anyone. And when you were, it was so great to him. That's why he didn't tell you, Erika. He didn't want to hurt you!"  
  
"Hurt me!" I cried, "Anya, I almost died last week, and I didn't know why! I thought it was all okay, that Voldemort was after me because of my parents, but then I find out that it's because I'm Harry's sister as well as that! How would you take it if you just found out that the only family you have will either kill or be killed by the most powerful Dark Lord the wizarding world has ever seen? I, for one, am scared stiff. HE'S THE ONLY FAMILY I HAVE!"  
  
Anya nodded, "I know how you feel. I lost my parents, too. My entire family, actually, aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins, everyone but my older sister, Anra. We never got along, we always fought. But when she was all I had left, I just wanted to cling to her because I didn't want to be alone. I know how you feel, Erika. You aren't alone."  
  
"Yes, but your sister isn't the only one who can defeat Voldemort or be defeated, is she?" I asked.  
  
Anya shook her head, "No. But she's a target just like I am. She's in hiding, along with my niece, who I haven't seen in two years. I miss them like anything, and I can't write to them, or speak to them. It's too risky. But I know she's alive, and that's what matters. And she needs to know I'm alive.  
  
"A family isn't just one person holding up everyone else. It's a series of connections, strings, if you will, holding everyone up. Each string is ommited from a person, and connected to another. And more strings, and more, until no one is holding anyone up, but everyone is holding everyone up. Harry's there for you, and he's desperately sad that you're taking this so badly, I saw him. Now you need to be there for him.  
  
"He needs you now more than ever, Erika. Just like you need him."  
  
I looked up at my godmother, and sighed, "I just don't know what to do, Anya. I'm so lost."  
  
"You're never lost, not when you have people that care for you, and you have plently of people who do. That's what we're hear for, to put you back on the right path. I can't tell you what to do, but I can tell you what I would do in your position. I'd stand beside Harry, and make sure he knows that no matter, you're there for him. Because he needs a sister right now, Erika. No matter what you think, he needs you just as much as you need him," Anya said.  
  
I smiled, "That's what Meg was trying to tell me last night, but I didn't quite get it. Anya, do you mind if I'm a little late? I've gotta go find Harry before he leaves."  
  
Anya grinned, and nodded, "But only a few minutes. We have a lesson to get to. Go on."  
  
I quickly hugged her, and ran off down the hallway, my bag swinging at my side and my shoes clattering on the stone.  
  
When I got to the Great Hall, it was slowly emptying out after breakfast. Meg was walking out at the same time.  
  
"Erika! Where were you?" she asked.  
  
"Talking to Anya. I have to go find Harry. Is he still in there?" I asked.  
  
Meg nodded, "Yeah, yeah, he's up at the Head Table. I'll see you at class, then. Good luck!"  
  
I grinned at my best friend, and ran inside, pushing past the people leaving.  
  
Sure enough, sitting at a seat near the end of the Head Table, was my brother.  
  
"Harry!" I shouted, running up to him.  
  
When I reached his seat, I didn't stop to catch a breath and started to talk, "I'm sorry about last night. I acted like an immature little girl. I just want you to know that no matter what happens, you're my brother, and I'll stand by you. And, although I still think you should've told me before, I'm not mad at you anymore."  
  
Harry grinned, and said, "Glad to know, Erika. You're a bit red, are you okay?"  
  
"Yeah, I ran from Anya's classroom. I'm fine, just a bit tired," I assured him, and grinned, just as an idea hit me, "Harry, tonight's my first Quidditch practice. Can you come watch? Please? The team will be so happy to see you again. It'll be fun, really."  
  
"Erika, I have to get back," Harry said.  
  
I rolled my eyes, "You took today off, too. You told me. Besides, you can go back AFTER practice. It only goes to eight, and you're using Floo Powder anyway."  
  
Harry laughed, "Fine, fine. I'll come. Well, I do want to see you in action with the rest of the team."  
  
I grinned again, "Great. See you after dinner, then."  
  
That evening on the Quidditch Pitch is one of my fondest memories. The team was so happy to have Harry, that they scrounged around for a broom so he could practice with us. He even showed us some of the drills that he'd made the team do when he went to school at Hogwarts, even if it was only a year ago.  
  
After practice, we climbed up to Dumbledore's office so Harry could use the Floo Network. I hugged him goodbye.  
  
"See you soon," I called as he stepped into the fire, and whirled away.  
  
A/N- Short, but somewhat sweet. That's TWO chapters for you at once. Sorry these haven't been up sooner, I've been so busy it's almost pathetic. And I had to read OotP before I could write anymore. The story is definetely AU now, but I don't think it's that bad. Well, judge for yourself. And, now that you've read, there's only one thing left to do. REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
Any additional comments can be given to me at StarlightEve111@aol.com 


	22. Avery Heats Up, Halloween, and Erika's B...

Author's Note- Here again. Guess what's in this chap! Halloween and Erika's B-day! Yay!!! Well, enough of that. I hope everyone enjoyed the last chaps. I liked writing them. I should have more time to write now, but not a lot. I'll update ASAP. I think that's it. Everyone go read the stories on my favs, they're all really good. And, read and review MY stories!  
  
Disclaimer- I own nothing. It all belongs to the great Harry Potter people. I am CERTAINLY not getting paid!  
  
Erika - The Legacy of Lily and James  
  
Things soon got back to normal, well, as normal as they could be when you just found out your only brother was the only one who could put an end to Voldemort, when your best friend was Voldemort's rebel grand-daughter, when another one of Voldemort's grand-daughters was on the run and in Hogwarts, and when you recently recovered from a murder attempt.  
  
Sarah, having received word, via Harry, about my incident with the Slauter Potion, sent a package full of chocolate chip cookies, which Meg and I took great pleasure in devouring. Harry and I exchanged weekly (if not more often) owls, and I was begging for an owl of my own for Christmas.  
  
Halloween started to arrive at Hogwarts. After the last Halloween, everyone was cautious, and kept glancing at Adrienne and Meg as if they might suddenly turn a wand on them and kill them. Which was nonsense. Meg and Adrienne had no intentions of doing so, Adrienne was always too busy studying. She was at the top of her class.  
  
Of course, with Halloween coming, that meant my 12th birthday. It also meant a very sad time for Anya and us, since it was the anniversary of Mum and Dad's death.  
  
But Halloween continued to approach. Everyone was quite worried about the traitor in Hogwarts, whoever had tried to poison Adrienne, Meg, and I.  
  
A few days before my birthday, I was discussing it with Meg at breakfast.  
  
"I overheard a few Ravenclaws yesterday. They figure it's a Slytherin or one of you two. They're all for Avery's efforts to try and get you expelled. They also think that all the Slytherins should be removed," I said.  
  
Meg shrugged, "That's not completely true. Remember Peter Pettigrew?"  
  
"How could I forget?" I countered.  
  
Meg nodded, "Oh, yeah. Well, anyways, he was a Gryffindor. So it could still be anyone."  
  
"I suppose your right. I just wish we knew who it was," I said, and then performed the charm on my food and drink.  
  
Meg sighed, and did the same.  
  
"Nothing. You?" I asked.  
  
"Nothing," Meg answered.  
  
I sighed, "This is getting really annoying. Well, it looks like the spy is quieting their efforts down. That's good, I just wish Dumbledore and Anya thought so, too."  
  
Meg shrugged, "They want to keep us safe. We should be thankful, but all it does is annoy you."  
  
"Doesn't it annoy you too?" I asked, grinning at my best friend, knowing full well what her answer what be.  
  
"Sometimes," Meg answered.  
  
Two days before my birthday, I woke up to find Meg already awake, sitting on her bed, looking out the window, and slightly shaking.  
  
Rubbing my eyes, I asked, "Meg, are you okay?"  
  
Meg glanced over at the others, still asleep, and nodded, "I had a strange dream, that's all."  
  
"Tell me," I ordered.  
  
Meg sighed, "It was strange, a mixture of past, present, and future. It's never happened to me before. It started with Ruth as I remember her, when I was little. She was giving me an extra bit of food, and calling me her 'pet'. Then she was standing beside our grandfather, but she looked older, I think that was the present. Then I was back in Ruth's room, and she was hitting me. That was the day I escaped. Then I was back, tied to the tree when she tried to take over Hogwarts, and you were there, untying me. Then I saw Ruth, only older and more worn, even though she was still young, and she was screaming 'No! No!' over and over again. And then I heard strange shouts, 'Run! Run!' over and over again. I recognized the voice, but I can't place it. Then the voice changed, but the saying was still the same. It was so strange. I think that bit was the future. And, just before the end, I saw Adrienne, standing in front of me, and she was saying, 'I'm sorry, Megan. I'm sorry!' over and over again. Then the dream ended. I don't know if I was Seeing, or what."  
  
I stared at my best friend, and then smiled, "Everything will be okay. If you saw Ruth screaming, that must mean one day she'll be defeated."  
  
Meg smiled, and nodded, but I could tell she was lingering on the past, what had happened to her.  
  
"Meg, don't worry about Ruth. She can't touch you any more. We'll make sure of that," I told her.  
  
"Thanks, Erika," Meg whispered.  
  
The day of my birthday, Saturday, October 28th, was chilly because of the breeze, but it was sunny. When I woke up the room was silent. I opened my curtains I found the room still. Meg's curtains were still drawn, as were Avery's, Jewel's, and Lucy's. Glad to be up before everyone else, I quietly eased out of bed and went into the bathroom. When I came out everyone was still asleep.  
  
Wondering about how early it was, I got dressed and combed my hair before putting it up. I glanced at the clock on the wall, and waited a few more minutes before running across the room roughly opening the bed curtains.  
  
"Wake up! You're going to be late for breakfast!" I called, grinning as my roommates woke up with a shock.  
  
Meg was the first to come to her senses, "Good morning, Erika. Happy Birthday, too."  
  
"Thanks," I said.  
  
Avery wasn't too happy, and, in response, neither were Jewel or Lucy.  
  
"Just because it's your birthday doesn't mean you feel allowed to wake us up EARLY on a SATURDAY," Avery shouted.  
  
I grinned, "Yes, well, you would've argued with me if you missed breakfast, so I had to balance it out. You yell at me for waking you up, or you yelling at me for letting you miss breakfast. I figured you'd feel better after you had some food in your stomach, so I chose to wake you up."  
  
Avery glared.  
  
"Fine, but I get the bathroom first," Avery said.  
  
And she stamped into the bathroom. Meg grinned at me.  
  
"You know, we really should be nicer to her. She IS our roommate," Meg said.  
  
"I'll be nice," I answered, "When she starts being nicer to me and not looking at me like I'm crazy because I 'think' my name's Erika Potter and my parents are Lily and James Potter. And when she starts being nice to you instead of treating you like a Death Eater under Voldemort's power who can't be trusted. She should be a bit nicer to US."  
  
Jewel and Lucy turned to glare at us, since I had said the word "Voldemort".  
  
"Don't say the name!" Lucy hissed.  
  
I rolled my eyes, "Oh, get over yourselves. It's stupid to not say it."  
  
Fifteen minutes later Meg and I arrived at the Great Hall. It was mostly full, but there were several seats empty. It was clear Avery, Jewel, and Lucy weren't the only ones who had wanted to sleep in.  
  
Meg and I took our normal seats, and started to fill our plates with the breakfast food.  
  
Once the plates were full, Meg and I exchanged looks and grinned.  
  
"Ready?" I asked, "One, two, three!"  
  
On three we both cast our spells and stared intently at our plates and goblet, aware that we had the attention of a few people throughout the hall.  
  
"Done," Meg said, waving her wand so the glow disappeared.  
  
I waved my wand, and frowned playfully, "Fine. You win this time. I'll win next time."  
  
Before Meg could say anything, I felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked up to see Anya frowning down at us.  
  
"Erika, Meg, you know you aren't supposed to race through your checking," Anya said.  
  
I sighed, and answered, "We know. But we have to make it fun, Anya. That's the only way we remember to do it."  
  
"You should remember anyways, because it could very well save your lives," Anya said, and then smiled, "By the way, Erika, Happy Birthday."  
  
"Thanks," I replied.  
  
She took out a package from behind her back, and handed it to me.  
  
"Here's your present. I hope you like it. Now, I must go join the others at the Head Table. Erika, Meg, after practice today, why don't you two come to my office for some tea?" Anya asked.  
  
We agreed.  
  
Anya grinned, and then walked up to the Head Table, stopping to say something to Adrienne (who was sitting alone, as usual, reading), before going to her own seat.  
  
I picked up the package Anya had given me, and tore off the wrapping paper. It was an unbelievably huge box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans.  
  
I grinned, and looked up to Anya, who grinned back.  
  
"Well, we'll have to be careful with these," I said, turning to Meg.  
  
There was a heavy beat of wings, announcing the arrival of the mail. I wasn't surprised when Hedwig and two other owls swooped down in front of me. I untied the packages quickly, and gave each of the owls a bit of my sausage before they flew out.  
  
"These must be from Harry, Ron, and Hermione," I said, grinning down at the packages.  
  
"Look," Meg said, pointing to Harry's package, "Sarah's included something, too. Isn't that nice?"  
  
I nodded, and started opening the packages.  
  
Sarah had sent me some cookies (still magically warm), and a picture frame with a picture of Harry and I (taken over the summer) in it. Hermione had sent me some black gloves for Quidditch practice, so my hands didn't get cold. Ron had sent me a rather cool looking watch that told the date and time. Harry had sent me a broomstick care kit.  
  
I resolved to write thank you notes to all of them as soon as we got back up to our room.  
  
"Want a cookie?" I asked, holding out the box Sarah had sent them in.  
  
By the afternoon, the wind had died down, so Meg and I went out and hour before practice. Meg was going to work on homework in the stands while I practiced.  
  
"It's a bit cold out," I said as we walked away from the castle.  
  
Meg nodded, "Yeah, but it's worth it. Anything to get away from Avery, Jewel, and Lucy. Especially Avery. Did you know she owled her uncle again last night, to ask him to get me expelled from Hogwarts."  
  
"Did she really?" I asked, and then laughed, "You won't be expelled, not while Dumbledore's here."  
  
We reached the Quidditch Pitch. Adrienne went up into the stands, to start her homework, while I mounted my broomstick and flew up into the pitch. I did a few of the exercises Harry had taught me, and tested my speed.  
  
It was exhilarating, and I loved it.  
  
The hour passed before I was aware of it. Fifteen minutes before practice was scheduled to start, players started appearing at the pitch.  
  
Practice passed quickly. Meg and I hurried up to our room so I could change. While I changed Meg fetched something from her room.  
  
"This is your birthday present," Meg said, smiling, "But you'll get it later. Right now, we're late for our meeting with Anya."  
  
I rolled my eyes, but hurried with Meg down the halls to Anya's office.  
  
We knocked on her door, and she let us in, smiling.  
  
"Hi, girls," she said, "Come in. The tea should be ready in a few minutes. Sit down."  
  
We sat down in the chairs in front of her fireplace. She smiled, and sat down in the third chair.  
  
"So, how was your birthday so far, Erika?" Anya asked.  
  
"It was great. Thanks for the gift, Anya," I said.  
  
Anya smiled.  
  
"I didn't know they made boxes that big," Meg said.  
  
"Well, you have to know where to look," Anya replied, "Hogsmeade doesn't sell them, and you have to look very hard at Diagon Alley. I know just where to look, though."  
  
We all laughed, and Anya stood up.  
  
"Tea's ready. I'll be back in a moment," she said, and left to make the tea.  
  
I looked around Anya's office. It hadn't changed much since our first year. She had tons of pictures spread throughout the office. There was one of me, one of Harry, one of Meg, a few of her family, one of a woman I figured must be her sister and niece, and several of people I recognized from the pictures Anya had given me over the summer. Mum, Dad, Anya, Sirius, Remus, Peter (the traitor!), Andrea, and Netta.  
  
Anya came back with three teacups. As I sipped my tea, Meg took out my gift.  
  
"Here, Erika. Anya helped me pick it out. I hope you like it," Meg said.  
  
I unwrapped the gift to find a red shirt with black letters on the front and back.  
  
"Erika Potter, Gryffindor Chaser," was written on it.  
  
I grinned, and said, "Meg, this is the cutest! I love it. Thanks so much. I'll wear it tomorrow."  
  
Meg smiled, relieved that I'd liked it.  
  
"So," Anya said, "I think it's safe to say you had a good birthday."  
  
I nodded, "Definitely."  
  
Halloween morning dawned with a heavy wind and overcast skies. But no one really cared. It was Halloween. As Meg and I walked down to the Great Hall for breakfast, I was grinning.  
  
"This will be the a proper Halloween, won't it Meg? Nothing to get in our way, right?" I asked.  
  
Meg nodded, "Ruth won't attack again, not this Halloween at least. She needed the element of surprise, and everyone's on their guard because of last year. It wouldn't be a good idea. Dumbledore agrees."  
  
"You talked to Dumbledore?" I asked, "When?"  
  
"Yesterday, when you were talking to Anya. I went to his office. I told him about the dreams I've been having," Meg said.  
  
I looked over at her, and asked, "Did he tell you what they mean?"  
  
"No," Meg answered, "But he was puzzled about them. He suggested I talk to Professor Trelawney."  
  
"Oh," I said.  
  
Meg nodded, "I'm going to talk to Professor Trewlaney tomorrow. She might be able to help me."  
  
"Do you think so?" I asked.  
  
"I hope so," Meg answered.  
  
That Halloween turned out to be a great day. Our classes were great. By the time we reached the Great Hall for the feast, we were all grinning and excited.  
  
The smell of pumpkin was everywhere, and there were 14 large jack-o- lanterns spread throughout the Great Hall. Live bats circled the ceiling. It seemed better than the year before.  
  
We took our seats and waited as the food appeared in front of us.  
  
Meg and I raced through our poison-checking, and then started eating. Lucy started talking to us about why Halloween is called Halloween, while Avery and Jewel looked on, glaring.  
  
"I love Halloween," Lucy said, "I always used to stay up all night with my sister to see if we could see the witch fly over the moon. I was Muggle-born."  
  
I nodded, "We used to do that too. Well, if we weren't caught. We weren't allowed to stay up past ten, no matter what."  
  
"Really?" Lucy asked.  
  
Meg was silent about her past Halloween experiences, but she talked when we changed the subject.  
  
"Erika, what's it like to play Quidditch for the House team?" Lucy asked.  
  
"It's fun," I answered.  
  
Lucy grinned, "I wish I could play Quidditch. I'm afraid I'm not too good at it, though. What about you, Megan? Can you play?"  
  
"Not well," Meg said, "Besides, I'd rather keep up in my studies more."  
  
Lucy nodded, "My parents would like you, so studious. I'm a bit of a disappointment for them. My older brother goes to Eton. He's really smart. I'm no where near as smart as he is, not in Muggle school, not even in Hogwarts! Though, I suppose, I can do stuff he can't, so that must count for something."  
  
Once the feast was over, Lucy walked up with Meg and I to the tower, Avery and Jewel following.  
  
I should've known about the battle that awaited us once we reached the tower. As we turned the corridor to the Fat Lady' Portrait, Lucy smiled.  
  
"You know, you two aren't nearly as bad as Avery says you are. You're both quite friendly," she said.  
  
Meg and I exchanged looks, and then grinned.  
  
"Thanks," I told her.  
  
When we reached our dorm, I sprawled out on my bed.  
  
"Well, I'm full," I declared.  
  
Avery and Jewel ignored my comment. Avery turned on Lucy.  
  
"Lucy, I can't believe you were talking to them," Avery hissed, "They are evil, Lucy! Both in the pay of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, I'd bet."  
  
I rolled my eyes, and sat up, "Honestly, Avery, like we couldn't hear you. Lucy had every right to talk to us. We aren't evil. And we certainly aren't in the pay of Voldemort. Do you think I'd work for him if he was trying to kill me? And, he doesn't pay his Death Eaters."  
  
Avery glared, and hissed, "Well, if you are going to listen in on our conversations, I bet you already know that the Board of Governors has listened to my letters, and tomorrow, they're holding a vote to have Megan and Adrienne Riddle removed."  
  
Meg went white.  
  
"I'm not leaving," Meg said, "Who are you to deny me the one place I am safe? I'll be killed if I leave Hogwarts! How would you feel if you knew that because of you, I got kicked out of Hogwarts and the next day, Ruth came after me and killed me? How would you feel?"  
  
"You're only mad about the idea because then You-Know-Who would lose two spies in Hogwarts. But he'd still have Erika to do it for him," Avery said.  
  
I stood up, "You didn't just say that! Take it back, Avery!"  
  
Avery looked pleased.  
  
"Never," Avery said.  
  
Lucy jumped in before we could hurt one another.  
  
"Avery, Erika, stop. Avery, Erika and Megan are not spies. Erika, Avery's sorry for what she said. Both of you, apologize," Lucy said, standing between us.  
  
I glared at Avery, who glared at me.  
  
"Whatever," Avery said, and walked over to her bed.  
  
I didn't respond. I just sat back down on my bed. Lucy sighed, and Meg sat down next to me.  
  
"I wish she would stop," I whispered to Meg, bitterly, "She makes this so hard. How come she can't just believe Dumbledore?"  
  
Meg shrugged, "She doesn't want to. She has an idea of evil in her head. You're either evil or your good. She lives on a one-level mind. If she doesn't know you, you're evil. That's why she doesn't like you. She knew for eleven years that Harry Potter was an only child. And then you appeared, and her distrust told her you were evil. She hates me because when she hears my last name, her mind tells her I'm evil because of who my family is. Not who I am. Who they are."  
  
Which made sense.  
  
A/N- Hope you enjoyed that. Lucy's being friendly. Avery's heating up. And Quidditch season is soon! In our next chap we have Erika's first Quidditch game! Yay! Also, I wrote a fanfic for Nicole Luiken's "Violet Eyes" and "Silver Eyes". Read it if you like the books. Well, you know the drill. Read and review!  
  
Any additional comments can be given to me at StarlightEve111@aol.com 


	23. Erika's First Quidditch Game

Author's Notes- Hi again! This is chapter 22 of Erika! Thanks to everyone's who has reviewed thus far. You guys are the best. Now, in this chap, Meg talks to Trelawney and Erika has her first Quidditch game. Lots of fun. Enjoy! Read and review!  
  
Disclaimer- I own nothing at all. Everything belongs to JK Rowling and the wonderful, super, Harry Potter people. I'm not getting paid.  
  
Erika - The Legacy of Lily and James  
  
The day after Halloween Meg decided she would talk to Trelawney. We went to all our classes, and then to dinner.  
  
"Come on, Erika, will you please come with me?" Meg asked.  
  
"Why do I have to come? Harry told me Trelawney's crazy," I answered, "Besides, Harry said she always thinks he's going to die. Not exactly the bearer-of-good-news."  
  
Meg smiled, and replied, "Please, Erika. I don't want to go alone. Please?"  
  
I sighed, but agreed, "Fine. I'll go. But if she says one thing about death, I'm going to go and wait somewhere else for you."  
  
Meg grinned.  
  
"Deal," she said.  
  
We left dinner early to go see Trelawney. She didn't eat with the rest of the professors, but supposedly ate up in her office, gazing at her orb, hoping to see something.  
  
She was waiting for us.  
  
"Miss Riddle, Miss Potter, I have been expecting you," she said, greeting us as we climbed the ladder to her classroom, "Come, and sit."  
  
She started to walk across the classroom, which smelt of incense and was so hot it was uncomfortable.  
  
"Dumbledore told her, she didn't 'see' us coming, more likely," I whispered to Meg.  
  
Trelawney turned around but didn't act like she had heard us.  
  
"Sit," she instructed, "Would you like some tea?"  
  
Meg and I shook our heads.  
  
"Actually, I came to talk to you. I dunno if Dumbledore told you, but, I'm a . . . I . . ." Meg started.  
  
"You're a Seer," Trelawney said, "And a talented one, according to Dumbledore."  
  
Meg nodded, "Yes, well, lately, I've been having these dreams, and I'm not sure what they mean. I think that it's a mixture of the past, present, and the future, but I'm not sure. I know parts of it are the past, but I'm not sure about the past."  
  
"You're a troubled person," Trelawney told Meg.  
  
Meg and I started. Where did she get that from? I mean, obviously Meg's troubled. Who wouldn't be, were they in her position?  
  
"Why do you think that?" Meg asked.  
  
"You mind dwells on the past a lot. You dream of it. You are troubled by your past, and by letting your mind dwell on it, you, too, are troubled," Trelawney explained.  
  
We stared.  
  
"As for your dreams, the information about the past is for you to change yourself, the information about the present and the future is for you to change what is happening, to help people. You must not let the past trouble you. It is the past. Look for the future, help the future. You can not change nor help the past," Trelawney said, a distant look on her face.  
  
Okay, I thought, this woman is weird, but she hasn't said anything about death, so maybe she wasn't everything Harry had said she was.  
  
"Thanks," Meg said, "We have to go now. A lot of homework."  
  
Trelawney nodded, "Yes, yes, I know. And Miss Potter, good luck on your Quidditch game. It will not be what you expect."  
  
Okay, I spoke too soon. She was everything Harry said. At least she didn't say 'death'. That would've drove me nuts. But she didn't. She just said my Quidditch game wasn't going to be something I expected.  
  
What was that supposed to mean?  
  
The day of my first Quidditch game was cold. Meg and I walked to breakfast as usual. I looked around for my brother. Harry had promised to come to my first Quidditch game, since he was going to be at Hogwarts anyway. He had to talk to Dumbledore about some Order business. He would be there sometime after breakfast.  
  
"Nervous?" Meg asked.  
  
I nodded, "A bit."  
  
Ginny, who played reserve seeker (she had opted to give up her position as seeker so she would have more time and the stress was giving her headaches), came up to me.  
  
"Hey, Erika. Are you nervous?" Ginny asked.  
  
I grinned, and countered, "Why does everyone ask me that today. But, yes, I am slightly nervous. Aren't you?"  
  
"Only for if we're going to win. There's not much of a chance I'll get hurt if I'm not playing. Carly's as healthy as can be," Ginny said, "I get to cheer you guys on. It'll be fun."  
  
Carly was the third year who made Seeker.  
  
"Thanks," I whispered, and Meg and I slipped into her seats.  
  
I spent the entire breakfast shooting glances towards the doors to see if Harry was here yet.  
  
"Haven't you ever heard that if you watch something closely, waiting for something you want to happen, it won't if you're watching it?" Meg asked.  
  
I turned to her, "Sorta like the pot of water won't boil while you're watching, right?"  
  
Meg was confused.  
  
"Muggle saying," I added.  
  
"Oh," Meg said, and nodded, "I suppose so. So stop watching for Harry. He'll get here when he gets here."  
  
I sighed, and looked back down at my plate.  
  
Carly Harvester, the third year Seeker, walked over to me.  
  
"Hey, Erika," she said, standing behind me.  
  
"Hi, Carly," I said while Meg said hello, too.  
  
"Are you nervous? I'm just about to die from nervousness. I couldn't eat a thing. Looks like you can't, either. I just had to get up, I couldn't take sitting there," Carly told me.  
  
I nodded, and answered, "Yeah, I'm nervous."  
  
"And Megan, this might not be the right time to say this, but I think Dumbledore's right to let you in here. You seem nice enough, and you don't act like you want to kill us. I believe in second chances. That might be just because I know you, sorta," Carly said.  
  
I'd already figured that out. She wouldn't be over here, talking to us, if she did think Meg was a Death Eater. But Meg seemed to like her admitting it.  
  
"Thanks, Carly," Meg whispered.  
  
Carly grinned, and then turned back to me, "Erika, don't forget, we have to be at the locker rooms fifteen minutes after breakfast. Pre-game breifing, I bet."  
  
I nodded, and watched as Carly walked away.  
  
"She's nice enough," Meg said, "And I think she meant what she said, too."  
  
"Carly comes from a nice family. Ginny told me that both her parents are muggle, but her aunt by marriage, I think it was, was a witch. Her aunt's cousin was killed by Voldemort or Death Eaters, I can't remember which," I told her.  
  
Meg nodded, "What was her name?"  
  
"The aunt's or the aunt's cousin's?" I asked.  
  
"Both," Meg decided.  
  
I thought for a moment, "The aunt's was Penny, I think, maybe it was Kelly now that I think about. The aunt's cousin's name was Jenna. Jenna something or another."  
  
Meg nodded, "Jenna Longs, was it?"  
  
"Yeah, I think so. How did you know? Wait, never mind. I don't need to ask," I said.  
  
Then, something hit me.  
  
"Wait a second. Jenna Longs? I've heard that name somewhere before. I can't place where," I said.  
  
Meg nodded, "I know where. In the photo album Anya gave to you last summer. There's some pictures of her in there."  
  
"She was a friend of my mum's, of Anya's, too, I'm guessing. Like Andrea and Netta," I said, "But probably not as much so. LANA is Lily, Anya, Netta, and Andrea, so maybe Jenna was just a friend, not as close."  
  
"She died young," Meg said, "I remember hearing about that murder. She was a seventh year. The same age as your parents."  
  
I shivered.  
  
"Strange. Small world, too. For Carly to be partly related to her," I said.  
  
Meg nodded, and then looked past me. Then she looked back at me, and grinned. Knowing what that meant, I turned to see Harry walking into the Great Hall with a few others (members of the Order, I figured). Ron was with him, too.  
  
"Harry!" I shouted, and got up, Meg following me.  
  
"Hey, Erika, Meg," Harry said, after we'd said hi to both him and Ron.  
  
"Have you come to see me play?" I asked.  
  
Harry nodded, "That, and we're here on Order business."  
  
I nodded to the people behind him, and asked, "Other members of the Order? Must be."  
  
"We're not supposed to say stuff like that here," Harry told me.  
  
I rolled my eyes, "No one can hear. Everyone's too involved in their conversations to hear a thing."  
  
"Are you excited?" Ron asked, grinning.  
  
I nodded, "Yeah, and sort of nervous too. But I guess the whole team is. First game of the season."  
  
"Yeah, we understand," Harry said, "Listen, I have to go see Dumbledore, so I won't see you until after the game. Good luck."  
  
"Thanks," I told him, "See you then."  
  
Ron nodded, "Good luck. Have a good game. Beat some Hufflepuffs."  
  
Our first game was against the Hufflepuffs.  
  
I waved as Harry and Ron walked out of the Great Hall with the rest of the people from the Order, probably up to wait in Dumbledore's office.  
  
"Now will you eat?" Meg asked as we sat back down.  
  
I managed to swallow a bit, and sip my pumpkin juice, but that was all. A complete waste of the time Meg and I had spent checking our food for poison.  
  
Meg went to wait in the stands while I went into the locker room. I changed into my Quidditch robes, and pulled my hair into a ponytail. Most of the team was there by then, and Carly sat by me while our Captain, a seventh year named Thomas Mettly, "briefed" us on our plays.  
  
"We're a good team, we can do this," he said.  
  
"Or so we hope," Carly whispered to me.  
  
I grinned, and nodded.  
  
"Be optimistic, people! We can win! This is Hufflepuff, their Keeper is their weakness, but their Seeker is pretty fast. Careful if one of the Beaters, a girl, throws a Bludger your way, she has good aim. But otherwise, I think we have this game pretty wrapped up," Thomas told us.  
  
Everyone nodded, and Thomas threw in a few last tidbits before we all grabbed our brooms and headed out towards the field.  
  
I looked up in the stands and picked out a few people right away. Meg was sitting with Lucy, on the other side of Avery and Jewel, who were giving her glares every few seconds. Harry and Ron were sitting with a few other members from the Order, including Hagrid. Anya was sitting with the professors, as usual.  
  
"Ready?" Carly whispered to me.  
  
I nodded, "You bet."  
  
We reached the center of the field. Everyone in the stands was cheering and clapping. But I felt strange, and nervous. Madam Hooch was waiting for us. The Hufflepuffs stood facing us, and I looked at the faces of each of the players.  
  
I was happy we were playing Hufflepuff. I had been relieved when I learned that we weren't playing Slytherin first. They didn't follow the rules, much, and weren't very sportsmanlike, supposedly.  
  
"Mount your brooms," Madam Hooch called out.  
  
I got onto my broom as everyone else did the same, and then there was a whistle, and we shot up into the air.  
  
There were three Chasers, Kevin Holly, Zoe Moon, and I. Kevin caught the Quaffle at once, and we moved into one of the formations we'd learned at practice. It was a defensive formation, so that if anyone did manage to get through the defense made up of Zoe and I, Kevin could easily just toss it to one of us.  
  
And the Hufflepuff Chasers didn't look like they were going to give in. We all immediately flew as fast as we could towards the hoops, while the Hufflepuff Chasers weren't far behind.  
  
"Zoe!" Kevin shouted.  
  
Our Capitain had it in his head that if you yelled the opposite person's name that you were going to throw it to just before you threw it, the other team would be confused. If it did work, it only worked for a split second because then he would throw it. And that was if it did work. The person it was being thrown to could think he was actually throwing it to the other person, and completely not catch it.  
  
This, I did not do, and caught the Quaffle quickly.  
  
I had the fastest broom out of all the Chasers, so I sped ahead, the Quaffle tucked tightly under my arm, one hand guiding the broom. I dodged a Bludger, and the hoops were just ahead.  
  
Out of the corner of my eye I could see Zoe, setting up. I made to throw the Quaffle in the right hoop, and watched as the Keeper started to lean that way, and then threw it to the side again. Zoe caught the Quaffle, and threw it in the left hoop. The Keeper struggled to block it, but it didn't work. Ten points to Gryffindor.  
  
The stands went up in cheers. My nervousness left me.  
  
A few minutes later we were up by twenty (the score was 30-50). Zoe had the Quaffle, but she was being harassed by the Hufflepuff Chasers, and the girl Beater was sending everything her way. She was really getting beaten up.  
  
Kevin and I flew into position right away. And then, Zoe dropped the Quaffle, a second too early. We weren't in position yet. The other Chasers sped down to get it, but Kevin and I were already lower than them. I caught it, and Kevin, Zoe (now freed from her prison of Hufflepuff Chasers), and I tried to speed away.  
  
Impact.  
  
Something hit my arm right arm hard. The impact pushed me over, and I was soon trying to pull myself up. I had been using my right arm to steer, so I was knocked off course.  
  
"Zoe!" I shouted, and then threw the Quaffle to Kevin.  
  
I grabbed the broom with my left arm, and tried to shake off the feeling in my right arm. It wouldn't move, and it hurt like crazy.  
  
But I had to keep going. It'd be hard to play with one arm lame, but I could do it, for a while. Come on, Carly, catch the Snitch, I thought.  
  
I sped after Kevin and Zoe, who weren't far from the hoops. I watched as Kevin scored, and the Gryffindors cheered. And then the entire crowd's cheers faltered. I turned my head to see Carly and the Hufflepuff Seeker speeding towards a bit of gold.  
  
"C'mon, Carly," I said under my breath.  
  
I had to keep moving. I raced over to Kevin and Zoe, and fell into formation. Hufflepuff had the Quaffle.  
  
And then, a cheer erupted in the stands. The Snitch was caught. I turned to see who won while the announcer screamed it.  
  
"GRYFFINDOR WINS!"  
  
Carly held the tiny Snitch in her hand, and was grinning from ear to ear. I looked into the stands, grinning too, despite my hurting arm. I looked over to see Harry.  
  
His spot was empty. The area around him was empty. Ron was gone, too.  
  
We lowered ourselves to the ground.  
  
"Ouch, Erika, are you okay?" Carly asked, seeing my arm.  
  
I nodded, "Yeah, I'm fine. It just hurts a little."  
  
"That Bludger hit her good," Zoe said, "And that Beater does have pretty good aim. To get Erika's arm from that far away."  
  
I rolled my eyes.  
  
"She wasn't that far away, guys," I told them.  
  
Where was Harry?  
  
Meg was rushing down from the stands.  
  
"Erika, are you alright?" Meg asked.  
  
"Yes, I'm fine. I'll be fine, Meg, really," I said, and then answered the same question when Anya appeared a second later.  
  
"Anya," I asked, "Where's Harry?"  
  
Anya bit her lip, and then answered, "He had to leave, Erika. On business. It was urgent."  
  
Disappointment. Harry hadn't seen me play.  
  
"Oh," I whispered.  
  
Anya nodded, "Come on, we should get you to the Hospital Wing."  
  
My arm was broken, but Madam Pomfrey had it better in a second. Meg and I head up to the Common Room, where the Gryffindors were celebrating their first win of the season.  
  
"First in a long line!" Thomas promised everyone, which provoked cheers.  
  
I got away as soon as I could, and Meg and I went up to our room.  
  
"Are you sad that Harry left?" Meg asked.  
  
I nodded, and Meg sighed.  
  
"Erika, he had to. It was Order business. It's not like he had the choice. He had to leave a bit early, that's all. They need him, Erika. It's selfish to want him to be at your game when he's needed somewhere else," Meg told me.  
  
"I know, I know," I replied, "I just wish he could've been there. It was a great game."  
  
A few days later I got a letter from Harry.  
  
"Erika," I read to myself, "I'm sorry I had to leave your game early. Someone was attacked, and they needed our help. No one was hurt. But how was your game? Did you win? I didn't ask anyone because I want you to be the one to tell me. How did you do? Did you score? I saw your first goal, but I had to leave right after that, so I didn't see anymore. Write me back as soon as you can. Harry."  
  
I smiled, and got out my quill to write a reply.  
  
"Harry, it's okay you had to leave. I was sort of disappointed, but I know you had to. I scored once more, and yes, we won. Carly caught the Snitch. I broke my arm, but Madam Pomfrey fixed me up. Maybe you can come to another one of my games, this time when you aren't on business. How's training going? How's Sarah, Ron, and Hermione? We're fine here. The game was great, I wish you could've seen the whole thing. Oh, yeah, guess what, Meg and I went to see Trelawney (Meg had to talk to her about things I can not put in this letter), and she didn't say anything about you or I dying, so that must be an improvement. Now that I think about it, she did mention the Quidditch game, but maybe it was just a coincidence that I got my arm broken. Oh, well. I have to go. Erika."  
  
A/N- Ladies and gents, that was chapter 22! Stay tuned for chapter 23. School's coming, so I might not have as much time to write, but I'll try hard. Actually, I haven't had basically any time to write this summer, either. That's why my chapters are slow on getting out. Sorry about that. Well, that's it. REVIEW!!!!!!!!  
  
If you like the books "Violet Eyes" and "Silver Eyes" by Nicole Luiken, read my fic "Crusade of the Violet Eyed"!  
  
Any additional comments can be given to me at StarlightEve111@aol.com 


	24. Christmas

Author's Notes- I'm skipping to Christmas, I need to get this year moving along. And for general purposes, Christmas vacation is three weeks. 'Kay? 'Kay. This is chapter 23 of "Erika-The Legacy of Lily and James". It's Christmas, and we'll see what happens. Now, read and review!!!  
  
Disclaimer- I own nothing. It all belongs to the noble Harry Potter people. I am not getting paid.  
  
Erika - The Legacy of Lily and James  
  
It started snowing as time passed, and soon Hogwarts was covered in a thick layer of cold, white, snow. This caused snowfights over the weekends, with Meg and I took part in, most of the time. I never saw Adrienne outside, though.  
  
Snow meant December, and December meant Christmas. Sure enough, McGonagall came around with a list, taking names of who would be staying over Christmas. It seemed not a lot of people wanted to stay. I was going home for the holidays.  
  
"Meg, you're always welcome, you know that," I told my best friend as she watched me pack.  
  
Meg wanted to stay at Hogwarts.  
  
"No, I'm fine, Erika. Anya wants me to stay here with her. We'll have fun, and you'll have fun. I'll be fine," Meg insisted, "And I'll send you your Christmas gift Christmas morning, so expect it."  
  
I smiled, "I will. And you expect your's."  
  
Meg nodded, and then asked, "Are you happy? You know, to be going home for Christmas?"  
  
"Yeah, I am. I want to see Harry, and I want to be back home. I love Hogwarts, and I always will, but I miss it there," I answered, trying to explain.  
  
Meg smiled, and replied, "I understand, it's the same for me. With Anya, it's so great. I mean, Hogwarts is my safe place, but with Anya, I'm at home. I love it there, and I love it here. Yeah, I understand."  
  
The door opened, and Lucy walked in.  
  
"Hi Erika, hi Meg," she said, "Meg, are you staying for the holidays, too?"  
  
Meg nodded.  
  
Lucy grinned, and told us, "I'm staying too. Avery and Jewel are going home. Maybe we can hang out together."  
  
I continued to pack things into my trunk.  
  
The three of us talked while I packed the last few things into my trunk, and then shut it.  
  
"Well, I think I'm done," I said, and then grinned, "Meg, would you honor me with a last game a of chess before I leave?"  
  
Meg matched my grin, and nodded, "Sure. Prepare to lose."  
  
And lose I did.  
  
Harry was waiting for me at the train station, and I hugged him when I saw him.  
  
"Hey, are you ready?" Harry asked, "We have to get back. Sarah insisted on coming over and making you a 'welcome home' dinner."  
  
"That's nice of her," I answered, smiling.  
  
Sarah was really nice. She'd even sent me some cookies in November for an American holiday, Thanksgiving.  
  
"So you like Sarah?" Harry asked.  
  
I nodded, "Of course I do! Don't you?"  
  
Harry laughed, and rolled his eyes, "Yes, I like her very much, Erika."  
  
"Good," I said, and we climbed into the taxi waiting for us.  
  
Not long afterward we arrived at the apartment. Harry dragged my trunk into my bedroom while I went into the kitchen. Sarah was cooking inside, her hair tied up and making dinner.  
  
"Hey, Erika," she said when I walked in.  
  
"Hi," I answered, sitting down at the table, which was already set.  
  
Sarah turned to smile at me, "You'll have to tell me all about Hogwarts at dinner. From what Harry's said, it so different from where I went!"  
  
"What was your school like?" I asked.  
  
Sarah answered, "Well, it was smaller, definetely, but still quite nice. We had a lot less students, and there were many more schools than just one in America."  
  
I nodded, "Sounds nice."  
  
"It was. I'll miss it there," Sarah said.  
  
"Harry misses Hogwarts, sometimes," I told her.  
  
As if on que, Harry walked into the room.  
  
"Smells good," he said.  
  
Sarah smiled, "Thank you. I hope it's as good as it smells, I'm a bit unpracticed. My friend, Jackie, says I cook well, but I'm not so sure."  
  
"I've never met Jackie," I said, a sudden thought.  
  
"Oh, you will, on Christmas. We're going over there for dinner," Harry told me.  
  
I nodded, and then asked, "Where's Ron?"  
  
"He's coming. He had to work, but he'll be here in a few minutes," Harry answered.  
  
"Erika," Sarah said, "Would you mind putting the plates out?"  
  
I set the table, and not two minutes later, Ron walked in, grummbling something about work (a small job he'd taken to keep himself financially stable until he started work as an Auror).  
  
"I talked to Hermione, she said she'd come. She should be over soon," Ron told us after the hellos were exchanged.  
  
We accepted that, and Sarah finished the last of the meal just a minute before Hermoine arrived, via Floo Powder.  
  
"Oh, good, I'm not late am I?" she asked right away, "I tried to get away quicker, but my landlady was bothersome today, and slipped a note under my door telling me that the neighbors were saying that strange smells and noises were coming from my room. The noises were Crookshanks, but the smells were potions I was practicing for training. So I had to go to see the landlady about it, and hurried back to get here," Hermione said, talking as she walked into the room.  
  
"You haven't missed anything," Sarah said, "We're just getting ready to sit down to eat. Come on."  
  
The four of us sat down at the table, and started filling our plates. We talked about Hogwarts for part of the meal (Sarah was particullarly interested in it). Then Harry, Ron, and Hermione told me about their training.  
  
"It's gruesome," Ron complained, "If I didn't like the job itself so much, I'd drop out in a second."  
  
Hermione nodded, "It is a bit hard, and we haven't even taken the yearly tests yet. Those happen every June until we're done with training. They're supposed to be very hard."  
  
"Quite a few people have dropped out by now. There are only ten of us left," Harry told me.  
  
"Wow, I don't think I could handle it," I said, "Too much training."  
  
Sarah asked, "What do you want to be?"  
  
The subject changed, once again, to my future. I wasn't quite sure yet, so Hermione launched into a list of all the things I'd be good at. It was amusing for a few minutes, but Ron got tired of it, and changed the subject once again, this time to Fudge's lastest enactment, which happened to be the outlaw of werewolves from holding Ministry positions.  
  
"That wasn't a good idea," Harry agreed, and I knew he was thinking about Lupin, "It's only making them madder at the Ministry. Fudge needs them to fight Voldemort. The more we have on our side, the better. If he keeps alienating them like this, they're bound to go and help Voldemort."  
  
Everyone nodded.  
  
"He needs as many allies as he can get," I said, "And in order to do that, he has to wizards and witches are the only beings in this universe."  
  
Again, everyone agreed.  
  
"Thinks himself too superior, he does," Ron told us.  
  
The dinner lasted until about nine o'clock, when we'd eaten everything Sarah had made, and sat around for a while longer. Everyone left.  
  
Harry, Ron, and I threw the plates into the sink, deciding to put a spell on them to wash themselves in the morning.  
  
I went into my room. It was comforting to be back in my room. I had spent a great deal of time decorating it over the summer, and it was completely mine. My bed was as comfortable as always, and warm.  
  
I fell asleep with in moments.  
  
Christmas Eve had Ron, Hermione, Sarah, Harry, and I sitting around the table again, having a huge dinner, again. Our Christmas tree stood in the corner of the living room, with all our gifts piled underneath.  
  
"One present," I protested, having a playful argument with my brother.  
  
"No," he answered, "We're supposed to open gifts on Christmas morning, not Christmas Eve."  
  
I rolled my eyes, "It's just one gift, Harry. Come on, will someone agree with me, please?"  
  
Everyone around the table laughed, and shook their heads, claiming neutrality, and returned to their dinner.  
  
"It's just one," I said, "One little present."  
  
"No, Erika," Harry replied, "Have you heard from Meg lately?"  
  
I grinned, "Hah! You tried to change the subject! That's not nice. But, yes, she owled me yesterday."  
  
"How is she? How's Anya?" Harry asked.  
  
"They're fine," I answered, "Meg said her and Anya went into Hogsmeade with special premission from Dumbledore two days ago."  
  
Hermione asked, "Is the Ministry still being mean to her?"  
  
I nodded, "Yeah, Dumbledore's refusing to let them talk to her, though. They sent an owl to her a few weeks ago, asking her to meet them. Dumbledore refused on her behalf. Now they're 'working' on Adrienne. As if she'd even agree. All she wants to do is study."  
  
"She must be very smart," Sarah said.  
  
"Top of her class," I told them.  
  
Harry nodded, "At least she's not talking with the Ministry. They'd use her information wrongly. They're going about this the wrong way."  
  
"I think they should just leave Meg alone, unless she willingly comes to them with information," I said.  
  
"But they're afraid she won't," Hermione added.  
  
I nodded, "Exactly. Dumbledore won't let them talk to her, still, and they want to talk to her, so they're going to force her to."  
  
Christmas morning was very bright. There was snow everywhere, and I was cold in the apartment. I woke up and turned to look at my clock. It was nearly 8 o'clock.  
  
I rolled out of bed, and wrapped myself in a blanket before opening my door.  
  
Harry and Ron were still asleep. I walked into the living room. The Christmas tree was dark, and our gifts were piled where we'd put them the night before.  
  
"Harry, Ron, get up!" I shouted, "It's 8 o'clock Christmas morning!"  
  
They finally dragged themselves out of bed five minutes later.  
  
"Erika, we don't get to sleep in a lot, you know. Sometimes a few extra hours is good," Harry said.  
  
I shrugged, "You'll survive."  
  
We ate breakfast as we opened the gifts. Meg and Anya's gifts arrived on Anya's owl at nine.  
  
After we opened our gifts, we brought them to our rooms. I was very pleased with mine, and immediately started opening the packaging. Hermione had even given me quite a few muggle books.  
  
"Erika, we're going over to Sarah's in two hours," Harry shouted, knocking on my door.  
  
I shouted in response, "Okay. Is it a robe occasion?"  
  
"Yeah," Harry replied, and I heard his footsteps walking down the hallway towards his own room.  
  
Two hours later, I had changed into a midnight blue robe with a white collar, sleeve and skirt hem, and a pretty midnight blue embrodery on it. I tied it up in the front, and combed my hair a few more times.  
  
"Erika, hurry!" Harry shouted, "We have to get there before the network gets jammed."  
  
I nodded, "Coming!"  
  
I ran out of my room, trying to pull on my black cloak, and put shoes on at the same time.  
  
Ron and Harry were waiting, rather impatiently.  
  
"I'm ready," I said, after slipping into my last shoe.  
  
Harry raised his eyebrows, "Couldn't you have done that in the two hours you had to get ready?"  
  
"I suppose, but why use two hours when you can pull it off in one?" I asked.  
  
Harry shrugged, "Well, come on, I told Sarah we'd be there five minutes ago."  
  
"Five minutes isn't going to matter," I told him, but took the Floo Powder nevertheless.  
  
The Order hadn't wanted Harry and Ron to get connected to the Floo Network in the first place, Harry had told me. They said it was too dangerous. But Harry had insisted.  
  
"I'm going to live as normally as possible, and so is Erika and Ron, because they have nothing to do with this," Harry had argued.  
  
They fought back, saying we had everything to do with it since Ron was Harry's best friend, and I was his sister. But, eventually, Harry won and we were connected.  
  
Harry went first, then me, and then Ron.  
  
Sarah and her room-mate, Jackie, lived near Diagon Alley, not far from where Anya and Meg lived, actually. Jackie was an American witch, too.  
  
Their apartment was decorated much differently from ours. For one thing, it was actually decorated, instead of just furniture and things thrown in odd places (the price of living with two men). We arrived in the living room, where there were already several witches and wizards standing around in their robes, talking.  
  
Sarah saw us come, and immediately rushed right up to kiss Harry and say hi to Ron and I.  
  
"I'll take your cloaks. There's some drinks over there, and some snacks in the kitchen. Don't eat too much, dinner's in a half an hour," she told us.  
  
Harry went to help her with the cloaks. I stood there with Ron for a second, before he recognized someone, waved, and went off to talk with them.  
  
I looked around the room, and stood there for an awkard moment before deciding to go over and get a drink.  
  
There was a couple over at the table. They smiled at me.  
  
"Hello, dear. You're a bit young to be here, aren't you?" they asked.  
  
"I'm twelve," I said, "And my brother brought me. His girlfriend lives here."  
  
The man choked on his punch. The woman tried to hide it.  
  
"You must be Harry Potter's sister! Erika, is it?" she asked, smiling.  
  
I nodded, "Yeah, Erika Potter."  
  
They knew my name, of course. You had to be in exile not to, with all the articles and rumors. Even if you didn't read the Daily Prophet or Witch Weekly, you'd know because chances are you knew someone who did, and they would probably tell you.  
  
The man and woman left, and within five minutes, it had circulated that Erika Potter, the supposed sister of Harry Potter, and friend of Megan Riddle (aka an "enemy), was at the party.  
  
I was very happy when Sarah announced that it was time for dinner.  
  
I was seated next to Harry, with Ron on my other side.  
  
The food was wonderful. There was all the usuals (turkey, potatoes, stuffing), and wizard treats (exploding crackers and such).  
  
"So, Potter," someone said, "You brought your sister, ey?"  
  
Harry cast a glance at me, and I shrugged. Harry turned back to the speaker.  
  
"Yeah, her and Sarah are good friends," Harry said.  
  
It was true, I guess. I do like Sarah a lot, and we get along fine, so I guess we were friends.  
  
The talk soon turned to the Ministry (there was actually only one pro- Fudge person there, who was drowned out by everyone else's comments). Most people my age would have found this very boring, but I thought it was quite fun. And I included myself in the talk.  
  
"If Fudge expects to win this, he has to at least have allies," someone said.  
  
I nodded, "Exactly. He's pushing away people that could help him, that want to help him. No offense to anyone here, but the werewolves could really help us. They're just like us, and if Fudge pushes them away, Voldemort's going to get them. And the less allies he has, the weaker he is."  
  
About everyone in the room shivered when I said "Voldemort".  
  
So I continued, "And the giants. They aren't all that bad, not really. If we could keep Voldemort from getting them, we'd be much better off. I mean, we don't have to be their best friends, but be friendly at least. The harsher we are to them, the harder it's going to be to get them on our side when we need them. And, face it, we're going to need them someday."  
  
"Smart sister you have here, Potter," someone called.  
  
Everyone nodded.  
  
"She is, isn't she?" Harry asked.  
  
I launched back into another point, on Fudge's treatment of Muggles. I was about halfway through when there was a loud knock on the door.  
  
"I'll get it," Jackie said, and hurried off into the hallway.  
  
I returned to my point, but didn't get far before six people stormed into the room. I recognized them all.  
  
Six members of the Order of the Phoenix, which included Ron's father (Mr. Weasley), stood in the doorway to the room.  
  
"Harry," the largest of them said (Moody), "Some Death Eaters were spotted in Diagon Alley fifteen minutes ago. We believe they could be heading to find you."  
  
"We've come to escort you back to your apartment," Mr. Weasley said.  
  
Harry sighed, and I could tell he didn't want to go.  
  
"All right. I'm sorry I have go, Sarah," Harry said.  
  
Sarah looked disappointed, but nodded, "I understand. Your safety is a lot more important than a silly dinner party."  
  
Ron, Harry, and I hurried to get our cloaks while the Order waited.  
  
"You three can go between us," Moody told us as we hurried to the fireplace.  
  
He handed us each Floo Powder. Moody went first, then Mr. Weasley, and then another member. Harry then went, then me, and then Ron. The remaining three members went after us.  
  
Our apartment was silent. Moody went about locking the door and blocking the fireplace off, muttering something about having "not connected in the first place".  
  
We took our cloaks off, and settled into waiting. Ron made tea for everyone, and we sat around the living room and waited.  
  
Nothing happened.  
  
"You can go home," Harry told them, "We'll be fine. We're protected here."  
  
They didn't budge and inch.  
  
I turned on the TV, and managed to find a Christmas special of Miracle on 34th Street (an American movie I was rather fond of). The others were completely fascinated with it, and so we watched the movie until around nine thirty.  
  
"Erika," Harry said, "Why don't you go to bed? There's really nothing to do but wait."  
  
"She should probably stay awake, just in case," Moody protested.  
  
Mr. Weasley shook his head, "If anything happens, Moody, she'll wake up to the sound. We don't just give up without a fight, do we?"  
  
"I suppose," Moody said.  
  
I didn't really want to go to bed, but there was nothing else to do. So I went to my room, changed, and got into bed. My window was locked.  
  
Harry came in five minutes later.  
  
"They're watching How the Grinch Stole Christmas," Harry said, grinning.  
  
I laughed.  
  
Harry immediately went from laughing to sad, and sighed.  
  
"I'm sorry about all this, Erika," Harry told me, "The party, the Order, everything."  
  
I nodded, "It's all right, I can handle it. If this is the price I have to pay to be your sister, so be it. It really isn't my choice anyway. This was all set before I met you."  
  
Harry smiled.  
  
"I don't think anything will happen tonight. Voldemort wouldn't send his Death Eaters to try and kill me. He'd kill me himself. He has too. So you can sleep soundly," Harry said.  
  
"I didn't think anything would happen. The Order just hypes up anything bad that happens," I told him.  
  
Harry laughed, and nodded, "They're a bit eager to make sure we're safe. I'm their last chance, I guess. If I die, than Voldemort sticks around."  
  
"Yeah, well, the party was sort of boring anyway, at least until dinner. Everyone kept talking about me," I said, "Which is sort of annoying."  
  
"You'll get used to it. Good night," Harry told me.  
  
"Good night," I whispered, and watched as he quietly shut my door.  
  
I fell asleep that night to the sounds of the Order in the next room, watching How the Grinch Stole Christmas, at the part where they're all standing around the tree singing, despite the fact that all their Christmas presents were gone.  
  
There is good in this world, I thought, and we have to fight for it.  
  
Author's Note- Sorry this took so long. I've been VERY busy. And I know it's not as good. I've been trying to pass time quickly because I know what's going to happen, and there's nothing much I can say. So I'm skipping time. Next chapter, you ask? Well, it's the Quidditch Finals, of course? Will Gryffindor win? Will Gryffindor lose? You'll find out . . . but not until you read it! Haha! So, REVIEW!!!!!!! How else am I supposed to know that someone is actually reading this??  
  
Any additional comments can be given to me at StarlightEve111@aol.com 


	25. The Quidditch Final

Author's Note- This is chapter 24!!! Yay!!! We've nearly reached 25! This is definetely going to be longer than Lily's Lake, since we're only in Erika's second year. Sorry the past few chapters have been bad. I've had a TERRIBLE case of writer's block, and I'm just getting over it. Okay, this chapter is entirely dedicated to Quidditch, and the Quidditch Final, and the pre-end-of-the-year happenings. So, enjoy!  
  
Disclaimer- I own absolutely nothing. It all belongs to the GREAT Harry Potter people. I am not getting paid, so don't even THINK it.  
  
Erika - The Legacy of Lily and James  
  
Winter ended, and spring came. Meg told me once, "I like spring, it's like rebirth. Out with the gloom of winter, in with the color of spring." I liked the quote.  
  
The Quidditch Cup loomed in front of the entire Gryffindor team. We were in second place, to the Slytherins (no surprise). Our capitain was drilling us about a thousand times a day on plays. Even in the hallways. It didn't matter if we were going to be late for our next class.  
  
"Twenty-two!" he'd call out, and we'd have to tell him the play.  
  
He called this "efficency".  
  
He could only do it when there was absolutely no Slytherins around. Or anyone for that matter. They could be "spies" for the Slytherin team. I didn't point out that they were usually Gryffindors that walked with us.  
  
I seriously thought our capitain was crazy quite a few times, and paranoid too.  
  
I wrote Harry about everything that was happening, and he wrote me about it in return. After writing a long, descriptive, letter about what I was doing, I walked up to Dumbledore's office alone. The last action of the Order was to keep me from writing letters directly to Harry, and likewise. They could be "intercepted". So I had to give my letters to Dumbledore, who gave them to Harry, somehow. And Harry gave them to Dumbledore too, who gave them to me.  
  
After delivering my latest letter to Harry, I started back towards the Gryffindor tower.  
  
The Quidditch Final was in a week. Gryffindor and Slytherin were playing against each other.  
  
"Erika!"  
  
I turned around to see Carly, our Seeker, running up to me in her Quidditch robes, broom in hand.  
  
"Erika, emergency practice," Carly said, "Captain O Captain thinks we need an emergency practice. You know how he is."  
  
I nodded, "See you in the Quidditch Pitch then."  
  
I crawled back into our room after practice, exhausted mentally and physically.  
  
Meg looked up from her book.  
  
"Hard practice?" she asked.  
  
I nodded, "Unbelievably hard. We practiced for FOUR hours. Practice is usually two to three. And it was all drills on plays. Nothing too fun."  
  
Meg laughed.  
  
"You joined the team," she said.  
  
"And I don't regret it," I whispered, "I'm just exhausted. I'm going to bed. I'll see you in the morning."  
  
Meg nodded, but I could tell something was wrong. She returned to her book silently, but she didn't turn the pages as I watched.  
  
"Meg?" I asked.  
  
She turned to look at me, and asked, "Yes, Erika?"  
  
"What's wrong? You're acting all weird," I said.  
  
Meg sighed, and leaned back against her headboard.  
  
"I went to see Dumbledore a few days ago. I had a . . . I Saw. It was horrible what I saw. An entire family, Erika, attacked by Death Eaters. Two little children and their parents. Dumbledore tried to warn them, but he didn't get there in time. They died, all of them, the parents, and the little children," Meg whispered, "And I can't get their faces out of mind, knowing I was supposed to help them, but I couldn't. That's what this so called gift is for, so I can save people! And I failed them, especially those little children. The oldest couldn't have been more than six."  
  
I sighed.  
  
"You can't save everyone, Meg. Everything that lives has to die. It was their turn to die," I said, "Even the little childrens. A little bit too early than everyone may have liked, but it was their turn," I said.  
  
I knew I didn't help her that much, but I knew this was one of those silent battles Meg had to fight herself. So I went into the bathroom, and got ready for bed.  
  
The morning of the Quidditch Final I woke up before dawn. The dormitory was dark. I could hear Avery snoring in her bed, and once my eyes were adjusted could see that Lucy had kicked her blankets off her bed and had slid under her curtains.  
  
I sat against my headboard, trying to go back to sleep. But I couldn't.  
  
I was too nervous.  
  
What if we lost? Everyone would be so disappointed. We couldn't lose. Gryffindor just couldn't. Everyone was hoping we would win. I had seen the signs a few first years had made, written in red and gold ink, a huge sign that had "GO GRYFFINDOR" written in gold, and then our names in red. It had made me so happy, and yet so nervous at the same time.  
  
What if we lost?  
  
Before I knew it, it was time to get up. Meg got up first (well, unless you count Jewel waking up and pulling the pillow over her face), and saw me.  
  
"When did you get up?" she asked.  
  
I shrugged, "A few hours ago."  
  
Meg stared, and then shook her head, "Are you nervous?"  
  
She had gotten out of bed and started to get ready. I slid off my bed and opened my trunk.  
  
"Yeah, slightly," I said.  
  
Meg raised and eyebrow.  
  
"Okay, okay, a lot," I admitted.  
  
Meg smiled, "Is Harry coming?"  
  
"Are you kidding? He gave me a whole paragraph on how he 'wouldn't miss this for the world'. Something about his sister's first big Quidditch match, or at least match of the Quidditch Cup. He's supposed to get here after breakfast. Sarah's coming, too," I said.  
  
"Oh, good," Meg replied, "I know she's been wanting to see Hogwarts for a while now."  
  
I nodded, "I think Harry really likes Sarah."  
  
"As in the L-word?" Meg asked.  
  
I laughed, "You listen to the first years too much. But, yeah, maybe."  
  
Meg grinned.  
  
I produced my Quidditch robes and waited in line for the bathroom before changing.  
  
I put my hair up so it wouldn't get in my face, and then grabbed my broom.  
  
"Ready?" Meg asked.  
  
I nodded, "Yeah. Let's go."  
  
As we walked down to breakfast we met other members of the Quidditch team. Carly came over to talk to us for a little while before going back to her friends. I gripped my broom tight, and sat down at the Gryffindor table.  
  
I couldn't eat much. I just pushed my food around my plate and had a few sips of pumpkin juice. Down the table, I could see most of the team acting the same. Captain O Captain (our nickname for him) looked about ready to murder anyone who might annoyed him.  
  
Meg figured after the first few minutes that I wasn't going to eat, so stopped trying to make me.  
  
"Slytherin is a good team," she said, "But their defense tactics are a little weak, especially their Keeper. You've gotten past them before."  
  
I nodded, "I know."  
  
Meg shook her head.  
  
"It's just a Quidditch match, Erika, not the end of the world," Meg told me.  
  
I nodded again, "I know."  
  
Suddenly the table grew hushed around us. Meg looked past my face. I turned around to see Adrienne standing there, one of her schoolbooks in her arms.  
  
"Hello, Erika, Megan. I just came to wish you luck today," she said, smiling, "I'll be hoping Gryffindor wins."  
  
"Thanks, Adrienne," I told her.  
  
She nodded, still smiling, and returned to the Ravenclaw table, where she sat down and opened her book up, and began reading and eating at the same time.  
  
"She's a weird one," Lucy (who was across from me with Avery and Jewel), said, "There's something strange about her. Like she doesn't care about anything."  
  
Meg nodded, looking over at her half-sister, "That's because she doesn't. The only thing she cares about is her lessons, because that's all she wants right now. I don't think she can face much more."  
  
Avery rolled her eyes, "She's You-Know-Who's granddaughter. In my opinion, the only thing they all care about is killing people."  
  
She looked straight at Meg as she said it. Meg turned away, and looked up to the Head table.  
  
"Anya's here," she said, changing the subject.  
  
I looked up at the Head Table. She was wearing red robes, and a gold scarf sat on the table beside her. Gryffindor colors. I smiled.  
  
"She's still very. er. loyal to her old house, ey?" I asked.  
  
Meg nodded, "Did you know that she has a picture of the Gryffindor lion hanging at home?"  
  
I laughed, "Really?"  
  
"Yeah," Meg replied, "It's actually really pretty where she put it. She says that she wants everyone to know she was a Gryffindor. 'It's something to be proud of, Meg. True Gryffindors are hard to find', that's what she says. Or something along those lines."  
  
"I thought she was all for working together?" I asked.  
  
Meg nodded, "She is, but she still loves Gryffindor."  
  
"Erika!" someone shouted.  
  
I turned to look at the doors to the Great Hall to see Harry and Sarah standing there, bedecked in red and gold. I grinned, and waved.  
  
"Harry! Sarah!" I shouted.  
  
They walked over to where we were sitting.  
  
"I'm so glad you could make it!" I said once they had reached us.  
  
"Are you kidding? I . . ." Harry started.  
  
I nodded, "Wouldn't miss this for the world. I know, I know, you told me. Sarah, you remember Meg, my best friend?"  
  
Meg and Sarah had met over the summer. Sarah knew all about Meg. It was hard not too, since once word on Meg had leaked, the Daily Prophet had had a field day.  
  
"Yes, I do. It's good to see you again, Meg. You look taller than when I last saw you," Sarah said, nodding.  
  
Meg was taller, by about two inches, maybe. But she was still considerably small for her age, which was surprising, since Voldemort was supposed to be really tall. Adrienne was worse. She was REALLY small, and looked really weak. But then again, so did Meg, and she was one of the strongest people I knew.  
  
"Thanks," Meg said.  
  
"So," I asked Sarah, "What do you think of Hogwarts so far?"  
  
Sarah nodded, "It is definetely different."  
  
"But it's great here," Harry said, "You would have loved it. Erika, is Peeves still as annoying as I remember him?"  
  
I laughed, and nodded, "Yeah. A few weeks ago he dumped a trash can on top of some poor first years head. The kid couldn't get it off, and had to wander until he found someone to take it off. Oh, and two days ago, he took it upon himself to decorate the fourth floor corridor. It was all anti- Gryffindor and -Slytherin. Strange things go on in his head."  
  
"Who's Peeves?" Sarah asked, quite confused.  
  
"Oh, he's this poltergiest that terrorizes everyone," Harry answered, "The other ghosts try to get him kicked out of Hogwarts every year, but it never works. I don't think he'll EVER leave."  
  
"We didn't have anything like that in my school," Sarah said, "We had three ghosts, not at all like Hogwarts."  
  
Harry asked, "Erika, are you nervous at all?"  
  
I laughed, "Weren't you when you were in this position? Yeah, I'm a little nervous, how could I not be? I just hope we win."  
  
"Wether you win or not, you're still a great team," Sarah said.  
  
Later that day, I was in the locker room, dressed in my Quidditch robes, my broom in my lap. I had leaned against the wall. The rest of the team was there, too.  
  
"Five minutes, people!" Captain O Captain (our nickname for our captain) shouted.  
  
He looked about ready to vomit.  
  
"Okay, people, this is it. The Final. We made it this far, and I have a feeling we can keep right on going," Captain O Captain said.  
  
"'Course we can," Carly added.  
  
Everyone nodded, starting to get hyped about the game.  
  
"A few reminders for when we're out there. The Slytherins play a dirty game. Don't get mad. Let Madam Hooch handle it," Captain O Captain reminded us.  
  
We all nodded.  
  
"Let's kick some snake butt!" someone shouted.  
  
Everyone was hyped by then. Nerves still quaked somewhere in us, but we were ready.  
  
"Let's go!" Captain O Captain directed.  
  
We followed him out onto the pitch, with the Slytherins entering as well. Everyone was cheering loudly. I managed to swallow my fear, but not by much.  
  
"Mount your brooms," Madame Hooch called out.  
  
I did so, gripping my broom hard.  
  
Madame Hooch gave her normal list of rules and then released the balls.  
  
A Gryffindor chaser immediately snatched the Quaffle, and the game began. The three of us sped towards the hoops, the Slytherin beaters and chasers following. Two of the Slytherin chasers started to pressue our chaser, who immediately dropped and passed it to me.  
  
I leaned against my broom, and we sped forward, the Quaffle tucked under my arm.  
  
I dodged a Bludger, and continued towards the hoops. The shouts of the Gryffindors were rumbling in my ears.  
  
Two Slytherin Chasers sped in front, and then stopped in front of me, to block.  
  
Quickly, I glanced around for the nearest Gryffindor Chaser. It took less than a second before I found them, and passed it before dropping underneath the Slytherin defenses and urged the broom to catch up with our Chaser.  
  
She was close to the hoops, and threw the Quaffle to try and score. The Slytherin Keeper leaned to try and stop it, but it was out of reach. The Quaffle went through the hoop, and Gryffindor gained ten points.  
  
Soon, the score was 40-30, in Gryffindor's favor. Gryffindor had the Quaffle, and one of our Chasers was flying down the field (in both literal and non-literal meanings). Slytherin was getting paricularly nasty at the thought of losing the Final.  
  
One of the Slytherin Chasers got right along side of the Gryffindor Chaser with the Quaffle, and the next thing everyone knew, the Gryffindor Chaser had lost the Quaffle and was trying to get a hold of their broom after being knocked in the arm by the Slytherin Chasers.  
  
Angered, I sped up and waited until the Slytherin Chaser went to pass the Quaffle. I immediately grabbed it just before it reached the arms of the waiting Slytherin, and turned swiftly before turning back towards the hoops, and held tight on the Quaffle as I sped as fast as I could towards the hoops. It was easy to get passed the Slytherin keeper. His left side was his weak side. So I threw it into the left hoop. Ten points to Gryffindor.  
  
A half an hour later it was a tie between the two teams, 90-90. We were all getting tired, and I was hoping Carly would catch the Snitch soon, and end the game.  
  
Suddenly, the two Seekers went into a dive. The rest of the game continued, but I knew everyone was holding their breath.  
  
Six feet from the ground, the two Seekers pulled out of the dive, one of them triumphant and the other angry with loss.  
  
Cheers went up in the stadium, and the announcer shouted, "Gryffindor wins!"  
  
The moments that followed the game seemed absolutely perfect and wonderful to me. Everyone was congratulating us. Red and gold enveloped our entire team. Harry and Sarah came over and hugged me and congratulated us.  
  
Dumbledore presented our team with the Quidditch cup, and we all held it up in the air while everyone cheered.  
  
Harry and Sarah were waiting for me as I walked out of the locker room after our match.  
  
"How do you feel?" Harry asked.  
  
I grinned, "Happy, like I could fly, without a broom!"  
  
We all laughed, and started walking up towards the Gryffindor tower.  
  
"Good," Harry said.  
  
He was bracing himself to tell me something, I could tell. I stopped dead in the hallway.  
  
"What?" I asked.  
  
"I got an owl from Ron. They need us back in London. We can't stay for dinner," Harry answered.  
  
I sighed, "Is it urgent?"  
  
"I'm afraid so," Harry said.  
  
I nodded, "Okay. Well, it's not long now, is it? Then I'll be back in London with you."  
  
"Yeah, not long," Harry agreed.  
  
"When do you leave?" I asked.  
  
"As soon as I've said goodbye," Harry answered.  
  
I smiled, and hugged him, "Bye, then. Bye, Sarah."  
  
"Bye Erika," they chorused.  
  
Harry added to his goodbye, "I'll see you at the end of June. Congratulations. You're really talented on that broom."  
  
I watched them hurry down the corridor towards Dumbledore's office before returning to the Gryffindor tower, where a party had begun.  
  
* * * A few days later  
  
Somewhere Else  
  
"Ruth, I am warning you, do not fail me! I do not accept failures!" Voldemort shouted.  
  
Ruth stood in her black robes with a group of Death Eaters behind her. She nodded.  
  
"Yes, Master, I will not," she said, her head low but her eyes glittering.  
  
Voldemort glared at her, "Good. Kill Megan and Adrienne, and bring the Potters and Jones here. Do not kill them, Ruth! I want the honor to be mine. But I will allow you to kill Megan and Adrienne as you please."  
  
"Yes, Master," Ruth agreed.  
  
Voldemort glanced at the group of Death Eaters, and nodded, "Go."  
  
* * * Same day  
  
Hogwarts  
  
As told by Erika Rose Potter  
  
"What classes did you sign up for?" Avery asked me as we sat at dinner.  
  
We had signed up for the classes we would take in our third year, our electives.  
  
"Arithmacy, Care of Magical Creatures, Divination, and Ancient Runes," I answered.  
  
Avery raised an eyebrow, "Divination? I thought you hated that."  
  
"I do. I'm taking it because Meg wanted to take it, and she's taking Ancient Runes because I wanted to," I replied  
  
At the mention of Meg, Avery rolled her eyes.  
  
Meg pretended not to notice. We had signed up for the same classes, and Meg wasn't particularly fond of taking Divination (she, like Harry, thought Professor Trelawney shouldn't be teaching), but it was been Dumbledore's idea. Something about helping her develop her power.  
  
I was about to ask Lucy what she was taking when there was a loud commotion outside of the Great Hall. Everyone could hear it, and everyone turned towards the doors to the Great Hall.  
  
Dumbledore stood up from his seat. The Great Hall seemed frozen in time.  
  
Until the huge doors blew up, throwing splinters of wood across the Great Hall. Someone screamed, and it started a chain reaction. A second later, everyone was screaming.  
  
Dumbledore was shouting over the screams.  
  
Meg and I were looking at the doors, to see figures robed in black, wearing masks. Death Eaters.  
  
Author's Note- Ta da! Chapter 24 is done! Sorry it took so long, but I'm still suffering from a slight of writer's block. Look for chater 25, where something very big happens. You'll see. I'm not giving anything else away. By the way, if you like the book Violet Eyes by Nicole Luiken, check out my fic, Crusade of the Violet Eyed! That's all for now! REVIEW!!!!!!!  
  
Any additional comments or random words can be given to me at StarlightEve111@aol.com 


	26. The Matter of Death

Author's Note- Finally, chapter 25! And to think, we're only on Erika's second year. This is going to be LONG. And I have every intention of finishing it. So, continuing. Last chapter had a bit of a cliffie, which I will take care of in this chapter. Read and Review!!!  
  
Disclaimer- I own absolutely nothing. EVERYTHING belongs to the Great Harry Potter people, who I personally think are geniuses. Don't sue me. I have NO money.  
  
Erika - The Legacy of Lily and James  
  
You could have let a bomb off in the Great Hall, and no one would have heard, that's how loud the screams are.  
  
The Death Eaters began shooting off curses into the crowd of frightened students. Meg had gone completely white.  
  
Anya and Professor McGonagall had come running down from the Head Table, trying to usher the younger students into a side room where we could hopefully be safe.  
  
When they reached us, Anya shouted to us, "Erika! Meg! Are you two okay?"  
  
We shouted "Yes" and allowed ourselves to be pushed with the rest of the crowd of younger students as the older ones set off to defend Hogwarts along with the Professors and Ministry agents.  
  
We were all crowded in a small room off the Great Hall.  
  
"Professor McGonagall and I are going to go out and fight. You'll be okay in here," Anya called out over the crowd of silent students, "Try to stay quiet."  
  
We nodded, and they opened the door and had us lock it from the inside.  
  
"Erika," Meg said after we had stood in the room for a few minutes, "Where's Adrienne? I don't see her!"  
  
I turned around the scan the crowd of students.  
  
"Adrienne?" I called.  
  
"She's probably out joining her Death Eater friends," someone called back.  
  
But another person told me what I needed to know, "No, she's not. She was hit with the first Stunning Spell, aimed straight for her by that . . .that person in the middle."  
  
"Ruth," Meg whispered, "We have to help Adrienne."  
  
I glanced around, thinking rapidly. If we left, we'd danger ourselves. But we couldn't just leave Adrienne to die if we could help. Besides, Dumbledore needed her for information.  
  
"Okay," I said, "We'll help."  
  
There was two windows looking out on the grounds of Hogwarts. We pushed our way towards them, and searched for the opening.  
  
They easily swung open, and we climbed out.  
  
It seemed ironic to me. During the last "battle" we'd crawled to safety through a window. Now we were crawling out of safety through a window.  
  
But I kept my thoughts to myself. Meg and I ran across the grounds.  
  
"She's probably inside. I don't think Ruth would just leave her there. She took her right away," Meg whispered to me.  
  
I nodded, I understood.  
  
We started towards the doors. A noise stopped us. I motioned to Meg, and we crawled behind a bunch of bushes. We could easily see the Whomping Willow from our hiding spot, and the doors to Hogwarts.  
  
The doors were broken, like those of the Great Hall, splinters of wood everywhere.  
  
Then, as we watched, Ruth appeared, walking down the steps and onto the grounds, and limp figure floating in front of her. Ruth was grinning.  
  
The figure was small, with white-blond hair.  
  
"It's Adrienne," Meg whispered.  
  
I nodded.  
  
We watched as Ruth turned back towards the castle, and started shouting to Death Eaters who were still outside the castle.  
  
"Find them! Find them, NOW! I command you to find them!" she shouted, her eyes seething.  
  
I had a good idea who she wanted to find. She probably had no idea that two of those people she was searching for were watching her.  
  
As we sat there, I could hear the shouting and screaming coming from the Great Hall as the battle went on. I thought of the small room off the Great Hall were the younger students were. Were they still safe?  
  
I turned to Meg, trying to make as little motion and noise as possible.  
  
"What now?" I mouthed, hoping Meg would catch on.  
  
She looked out at Ruth, down at Adrienne, and then turned back to me, and shrugged.  
  
My thoughts ticked off numerous, stupid, ideas that would never work. Finally, it settled on one idea that, while incredibly risky, actually had the prospect of working.  
  
I whispered as quietly as I could into Meg's ear, but she drew back, shaking her head.  
  
"Too risky," she mouthed.  
  
"It's all we've got," I mouthed back, and looked out at Ruth, standing there, waiting for her faithful Death Eaters to return with us.  
  
Quietly as I could, I snuck down the bushes, until I was as far away from Meg as I could be, and still pretty well hidden.  
  
Meg was completely out of my eyesight, but I could see Ruth. A moment later, I took a deep breath, and pointed my wand at bushes in the opposite direction of Meg, yet far from me.  
  
I whispered a quick charm, and drew back into the bushes as the bushes ten feet from me went up in blue flames.  
  
Ruth's attention immediately turned to the bushes on fire. I saw Meg sneak out of her hiding spot in the bushes, and, in the shadows, steal towards where Adrienne was kept.  
  
"Come out and face me, you coward!" Ruth shouted towards the bushes, "I know you are there! But who is it? Anya Jones, or perhaps little Erika Potter. Better yet, maybe it is Megan Riddle, my long-lost sister. Come out and face me, and I just might spare your life, for now!"  
  
Not a chance, I thought, and watched as Meg got closer to Adrienne.  
  
Ruth began to walk towards the burning bushes. The fire had spread to another bush, and I had backed off a bit more, the heat still reaching me.  
  
My eyes went from Meg, racing quietly towards Adrienne, to Ruth, walking slowly towards me, her wand ready.  
  
And then Meg stepped on a twig, which cracked and broke under her foot. Ruth swung around, and her face widened into a grin as she saw Meg standing but six feet from Adrienne.  
  
"I thought you'd come," Ruth said, "Never did like sacrifices, even if it was for your own good. I knew you'd come to get her. But where's Miss Potter, dear sister? Surely she is around here, somewhere. That was her in the bushes, wasn't it, dearest sister?"  
  
Meg was silent, her face pale and yet set stubbornly.  
  
But she didn't stand a chance against Ruth.  
  
I don't know what made me do it, maybe because Meg was too much of a friend for me not to defend, or that it just felt right, but the next thing I knew, I had jumped out from the bushes, and was standing behind Ruth, my wand pointed at her head.  
  
"Ah, there you are," Ruth said, "Now, if you would just go stand next to Megan. Oh, and Megan, do move a bit so that you're closer to Adrienne. It makes the entire task much easier."  
  
I didn't budge, and neither did Meg.  
  
Ruth rolled her eyes.  
  
"I thought you'd do that. Fine, make me do more work. But you'll still die," Ruth said.  
  
My mind raced through charms and spells, trying to find one that might help me. And then I returned to a lesson with Anya, where she had taught us how to disarm your enemy.  
  
"Expelliarmus!" I shouted.  
  
Ruth was knocked backwards, and her wand flew into the air. In the same moment, Meg ran to Adrienne, and hissed a spell over her. Adrienne, now awake, sat up, and looked over at Ruth and me.  
  
"Erika!" Meg shouted.  
  
Clutching Ruth's wand, I ran towards Meg and Adrienne.  
  
"Expelliarmus!" Ruth's voice shouted behind me.  
  
I was knocked off my feet, both my wand and Ruth's going flying. My breath was knocked from me, and I lay there a moment, a much-needed moment, trying to regain it.  
  
I managed to my hands and knees, but before I could stand up and run, Ruth shouted something else.  
  
Pain hit me, a pain I had never felt before. My entire body was on fire, my limbs were being stretched, and it felt like a thousand knives stabbing me, all of this at the same time. I sunk back to the ground, screaming.  
  
Somewhere in the distance, far from my pain that I was wrapped in, I heard Meg and Adrienne screaming my name.  
  
Suddenly, I was wrenched from the pain so quickly, it hurt, but not as much.  
  
I struggled to look up, to see Adrienne, fighting Ruth for her wands (Ruth held three, her own two, and my one). Meg ran past me to Adrienne and Ruth. Three sisters, I thought, fighting for their own lives.  
  
I managed to slowly stand, and hurried over. As soon as I was there, I launched myself against Ruth, knocking her to the ground. Adrienne straightened up, and turned to face Meg.  
  
"I'm sorry, Megan, I'm sorry!" Adrienne cried.  
  
"For what?" Meg asked, putting her foot down on top of Ruth's torso to help me hold her down.  
  
"For getting captured, so you came after me," Adrienne said.  
  
Before Meg could reply, Ruth grabbed her foot and knocked her to the ground. Meg groaned.  
  
Ruth pushed me off her.  
  
She stood, and raised her wand, pointing right at Adrienne, the only one of us still standing.  
  
"Run! Run!" Adrienne started screaming.  
  
Ruth shouted into the night, "Avada Kedavra!"  
  
Green light pierced the darkness. I buried my face into my arms, and screamed as loud as I could.  
  
* * *  
  
Same Moment  
  
The Great Hall  
  
As told by Anya Jones  
  
A scream louder than the screams in the Great Hall split my ears. A scream I recognized.  
  
I turned to Professor McGonagall, who wasn't far from me, and shouted, "Where's Erika and Megan?"  
  
"In the back room with the rest of them," Professor McGonagall shouted in answer, her face etched with worry.  
  
But I had heard the scream, and I knew otherwise.  
  
I fought my way towards the windows of the Great Hall, looking out over the grounds. And I saw green light.  
  
"The Death Curse," I muttered, and pushed open the windows and climbed out, running towards the area where the light had come from.  
  
* * *  
  
As told by Erika Rose Potter  
  
The green light diminished, and I looked up to see Ruth standing over Adrienne, slumped to the ground, her pale hair covering her equally pale face.  
  
I stumbled into a standing position, and ran over to Meg, to help her up.  
  
"Come on, we have to run. Ruth's going to kill us," I hissed.  
  
Meg got to her feet, and we clumbsily ran towards the castle, aware that there was danger behind us and in front of us. We were miserably trapped. We could get into the castle. The Death Eaters held the enterance. And Ruth was behind us, chasing us, trying to kill us . . .  
  
"Erika! Meg!"  
  
I saw Anya running towards us, her robes billowing out behind her.  
  
"Anya!" I shouted, "Ruth!"  
  
Anya looked past us, and nodded, "Come on, run! We'll find a way to get you back inside!"  
  
Just seconds after she said that, a cry pierced the air, a defeated cry. Ruth's pounding footsteps, which lay in pursuit of us, stopped. Anya allowed us to stop only for a second before leading us towards the windows of the Great Hall, one of which was wide open.  
  
"Get in!" she shouted.  
  
We climbed in, Meg first, then me, and finally Anya. When we entered, we found the Great Hall a mess. Stunned Death Eaters and students alike littered the floor. A few, I knew, were dead. But I ignored it.  
  
The professors and remaining students, exhausted, leaned against tables.  
  
But there were no awake Death Eaters.  
  
"They retreated," Professor McGonagall said.  
  
Dumbledore appeared behind her.  
  
"The Order arrived, and with that added force, they were outnumbered. They retreated," Dumbledore said.  
  
I looked up, and asked, "The Order's here?"  
  
"Yes. Harry's looking for you as we speak. He is quite worried about you," Dumbledore said.  
  
Meg, on the verge of tears, finally spoke, "Sir, Adrienne's outside, on the lawn. Ruth . . . killed her."  
  
Meg finally succumbed to her tears. I hugged her, her tears wetting my shoulder. Anya put a hand on each of our shoulders.  
  
"Erika!"  
  
I let go of my embrace with Meg to look up.  
  
Harry stood about twenty feet away, looking quite tired and worried. He immediately ran over, and hugged me.  
  
An hour later, Meg and I were sitting on the ground of the Hospital Wing, leaning against the wall, side by side.  
  
The wounded were brought into the Hospital Wing, along with the dead, who were laid in the back and surrounded by curtains. The Death Eaters had been rounded up.  
  
There was no empty beds in the Hospital Wing, but Madam Pomfrey had insisted to see me, to make sure I was okay after having been inflicted by the Crutacius Curse.  
  
Harry was getting a few cuts healed by some MediWizards who had immediately come to Hogwarts to help the overwhelmed Madam Pomfrey. When he was done, he came over to us.  
  
"I was so worried you were dead," Harry whispered, "When you weren't with the younger students."  
  
I looked up, and whispered, "Harry, I saw someone die. Someone died as I watched."  
  
There was a silence, and then Harry sat down next to me.  
  
"I did, too, once. You just have to realize, that no matter how much you wish you could have, there was no way that you could have stopped Ruth from doing what she did, not in your current state," Harry whispered.  
  
"Maybe if we had done it differently, if . . ." I started.  
  
Harry cut me off, and said, "No more ifs. It happened the way it happened. And you're alive to tell the story. That's what matters."  
  
Yes, I thought, but Adrienne isn't.  
  
One of the MediWizards came over quickly to make sure I was okay, and then sent Meg and I back up to the tower to with a flask of a sleeping potion each.  
  
We had both talked to Dumbledore, and told him what happened. I was utterly exhausted, and hugged Harry good-night, before Meg and I went up to the tower.  
  
Avery, Lucy, and Jewel were already there, but not asleep. They watched us as we walked in, but said nothing. I made no effort to make conversation, and simply climbed into bed still dressed in my robes. I shut my eyes.  
  
Visions of Adrienne and Ruth and the battle were etched on the inside of my eyelids. I was glad for the potion, which I drank in two gulps. It was sour, and cold.  
  
I set the flask down by my bed, and shut my curtains, aware of Meg doing the same as Avery, Jewel, and Lucy looked on. I refused to shut my eyes other than blink until the potion took affect five minutes later, and I slipped into a dreamless, nightmareless, sleep.  
  
There were ten casualities from that night, and only one of them was Adrienne. Several of the dead were taken by their families, but Adrienne was buried on the school grounds, with a memorial service with the students and faculty.  
  
Harry returned to London two days later, after making sure I was okay.  
  
A week later the year ended. All the students had packed their things, and waited to take the carriages down to the station. When the first carriage arrived, I nearly fell over backwards.  
  
Where usually there had been open space, there was a creature pulling the carriage.  
  
Meg looked over at me.  
  
"You see them now," she said, motioning with her head to the creatures.  
  
I nodded, "Yes. What are they? They look strange."  
  
"They're called thestrals. You can only see them if you've seen death. I've seen them since I was little. My grandfather liked to kill traitors in front of the entire family," Meg whispered, keeping her voice low.  
  
I stared at the animals, until Meg and I climbed into our carriage, and were taken down to the station where the Hogwarts Express waited.  
  
I sighed as I settled into my seat.  
  
"It's strange, don't you think, that we've spent two years at Hogwarts, and we only have five left?" I asked.  
  
Meg just nodded, and sat down in her own seat.  
  
"Sometimes."  
  
Author's Note- that's it. That's chapter 25. Hope you liked it. I tried to make it a bit better. Well, I actually wrote this in the course of two days. Well, now that you've read, there's only one thing left to do . . . REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!  
  
Any additional comments or random thoughts can be sent to me at StarlightEve111@aol.com 


	27. Because He Loves Us

Author's Note- Yay! Chapter 26!!! Here it is, for everyone that's been waiting patiently. Harry tells Erika something very serious, and "good" news for Ruth (in her eyes). Plus, a plan is in the making. Also, I know a bunch of people wanted this to be H/H, or H/G, or whatever combination people have thought of. I, personally, have nothing wrong with any of them, I read all of them. But, for this story I decided to settle on neutral grounds so I wouldn't make anyone angry with doing the wrong combination. You'll find out what I'm talking about when you read. Hehe. So, here goes!  
  
Disclaimer- I own nothing. It all belongs to the Great Harry Potter people (of which I am not, sadly). I am not getting paid, so don't sue me (I have NO MONEY and your profit would be ZERO!).  
  
Erika - The Legacy of Lily and James  
  
"Erika! Over here!" I heard someone shout.  
  
I turned to see Sarah, waving her arms madly in the air outside Platform nine and three quarters. Confused, but happy to see her, Meg and I walked over.  
  
Like last year, Meg was staying the first night at our apartment since Anya left Hogwarts the day after the students.  
  
We set down our trunks near her.  
  
"Hi! Sorry Harry couldn't be here, urgent business. You know. But he'll be back in time for your welcome home dinner, for both of you. We have to stop at the market on our way home, if you don't mind. I just need a few things," Sarah said.  
  
I nodded, smiling, "Okay. Sure."  
  
"I got you a trolley to put your trunks on," Sarah told us, motioning to the trolley beside her.  
  
We got our trunks onto the trolley, and wheeled them from the station. Sarah got us a taxi, which we took to our corner. There was a little market on the corner, where we stopped to get what Sarah needed. Meg and I waited outside, sitting on our trunks.  
  
"What is she making?" Meg asked.  
  
I shrugged, "I guess we're making it tradition to have a welcome home dinner for me."  
  
Meg smiled, "Harry must really like Sarah."  
  
"He does," I said, nodding and looking at the passing traffic, "I have a feeling I'll be seeing her a lot this summer."  
  
"More than last summer?" Meg asked.  
  
Again, I nodded, "Yep."  
  
The apartment was empty when we got there. Meg stowed her trunk in my room and helped me unpack. Once we were done, we went out to the kitchen were Sarah was making dinner.  
  
"So, where's Harry and Ron?" I asked.  
  
"Urgent Order meeting," Sarah answered.  
  
I frowned, "I thought you were joining the Order."  
  
"I am. This year, hopefully. But since I'm not a member yet, I'm not allowed to the meetings. They're very careful, what with the spy at Hogwarts," Sarah said.  
  
"So they haven't figured out who it is, then?" I asked.  
  
Sarah shook her head, "Everyone that was thinking it was Adrienne is burying their heads, now. She couldn't be if she had been killed by Ruth . . . Oh, Erika, Meg, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to talk about it!"  
  
"It's okay," Meg said, "So, what's for dinner?"  
  
Harry and Ron showed up fifteen minutes before dinner, looking exhausted and slightly worried. Seconds after they walked in the door, they donned smiles and greeted us back from Hogwarts. Harry kissed Sarah hello, and then went in his room to change.  
  
"Smells delicious," Harry said when he returned, "What is it?"  
  
Sarah gave him the menu: steak, mashed potatoes, salad, rolls with butter, and home-made pumpkin juice that her mum had given her when she left America (magically kept good).  
  
Despite my eagerness to know what had been happening, Harry and Ron said absolutely nothing about Voldemort, the Order, or the Ministry during dinner. They sticked to safer topics. The conversation was good, but I wanted to know what was happening.  
  
After dinner, we all settled down and watched a Muggle movie on TV, laughing at the idioticness of it all. It was the best movie a bunch of wizards and witches could watch, a movie about the Muggles of ideas of witches and "warlocks".  
  
Sarah left at eleven, and we all went to bed. Harry had borrowed a cot from Hermione, which he set up in my room for Meg's use.  
  
"Glad to be back?" Meg asked.  
  
"Very glad," I whispered.  
  
Five minutes later, we were asleep.  
  
* * *  
  
That night  
  
Somewhere else  
  
Ruth stood before Voldemort, her excitement hidden deep under her skin. Voldemort titled her "Dark Lady" and announced her formally as his heir.  
  
"Lady Ruth," everyone murmmured.  
  
Ruth held her head high. This was the day she had been dreaming of. She was now the second most powerul person in the world. Of course, Voldemort was more poweful than all, with Ruth following. No one could beat them.  
  
Not the pesky Potters or that idiotic Dumbledore. Certainly not the Ministry of Magic, who was crummbling from the inside (with some help from a few well placed Death Eaters). And as for Megan, her sister, there was nothing Megan could to do stop her.  
  
At that moment, Ruth felt as if the world was in her hands, ready to be crushed under her power.  
  
"Behold, world, it is I, Lady Ruth," she whispered to herself.  
  
* * *  
  
A few minutes later  
  
As told by Erika Rose Potter  
  
"Harry? Harry, wake up!"  
  
I opened my eyes, and sat up in my bed. Meg sat up on her cot as well.  
  
It was Ron's voice, yelling to my brother to wake up. Confused and slightly scared, I pushed the covers (that I had halfway kicked off) off my bed, and got up. Meg followed me.  
  
Down the hallway, the door to my brother's room was open, and the lights were on. I walked in to find Ron standing over my brother, and Harry sitting up in his bed. I sighed in relief, and walked in.  
  
"What's happening?" I asked.  
  
Harry and Ron turned to look at me.  
  
"Erika? Why are you awake?" Harry asked.  
  
I raised an eyebrow, and said, "Ron woke me up with his shouting. What is happening?"  
  
"Nothing. I had a nightmare, that's all," Harry said.  
  
"I don't believe you. You'd better tell me. Remember, you promised you wouldn't lie to me anymore," I countered.  
  
Meg appeared beside me, silent.  
  
The room was silent for a minute, and then Harry spoke, "Fine, fine, I'll tell you. Let's go in the living room and sit down."  
  
We did so, turning on the lights as we went. It was now about two in the morning, or so the clock above the stove said.  
  
We sat down in the living room, and I waited for Harry to speak.  
  
"Remember how I told you about the connection Voldemort and I have . . . how I can sometimes feel what he's feeling, see what he's seeing. Well, that just happened," Harry said.  
  
"I thought you said you could block it out," I said.  
  
"I can," he replied, "I didn't tonight . . . I forgot. Good example I'm setting."  
  
No one laughed, but I managed a smile.  
  
"So, what happened?" I asked.  
  
"Well, tonight, when I was dreaming, I forged a connection between Voldemort and I, and I saw what he saw. It was only a few seconds. He could sense me in him, and that can be dangerous . . . that's why I've learned to block it off," Harry said, "Tonight, I saw a huge room. I was . . . Voldemort. There was a young woman there, she was being honored for doing something good," Harry told us.  
  
Meg interuppted, "Ruth. Probably for . . . you know . . . killing Adrienne."  
  
"They were saying something about 'Dark Lady'," Harry said.  
  
"'Dark Lady' is the title my grandfather planned to give to his heir. He must have offically done and named her," Meg said, "Ruth'll be pleased with herself."  
  
Meg looked down at her hands, and sighed.  
  
"You should tell Dumbledore," I said.  
  
Harry nodded, "I will. I'll go over to the Order Headquarters after work today."  
  
"Okay," Ron said, "I think Mum or Dad's going to be there. It shouldn't be hard to get the message to Dumbledore."  
  
"Yeah, but he's not going to be happen I didn't use my Occlumency," Harry said.  
  
I looked up, "Occlumency?"  
  
"That's how I block my mind," Harry explained, "I use it every night."  
  
I nodded, "Oh, okay."  
  
For the next few days, Harry had that air about him. The air he got whenever he had something important to tell me, but was delaying it. Curious, and worried it might be something about Voldemort, I hoped he would tell me soon. And soon he did.  
  
One night, a week after I came home, Harry asked to speak to me. Ron had gone out, so there was no one else in the apartment.  
  
"Sure, what about?" I asked, sitting down on the couch.  
  
"Erika, do you like Sarah?" Harry asked, nervous.  
  
I nodded, "Yeah, I do. She's really nice, and I like her. Why?"  
  
"Well, I was thinking about asking Sarah to marry me. Of course, I won't it you don't like the idea. I just wanted to make sure you were okay with it. You are, aren't you?" Harry asked, saying that very fast.  
  
I grinned, "That would be great. I really like Harry. Go right ahead. I'm behind you."  
  
Harry grinned, in turn.  
  
"Great. I'm telling Ron tonight. Next week I'm going to take her out and ask her," Harry told me.  
  
"This is so cool! Have you decided where to go, yet?" I asked.  
  
Harry shook his head.  
  
"Go to Barnuby's. It just opened, it's supposed to be really nice, and really romantic. I saw pictures on the television," I told him.  
  
"Okay. I'll get reservations, then," Harry said, and then stood up, "I'm really glad you're okay with this, Erika. I love Sarah."  
  
I laughed, "You'd better, if you're proposing to her."  
  
Apparently, Ron didn't mind the idea either. A week later, an extremely nervous Harry was standing in the living room, wearing a tux, saying goodbye to Ron and I. We'd ordered a pizza, which was supposed to arrive in an hour.  
  
"Wish me luck," Harry said.  
  
"Luck!" I shouted as he left the apartment.  
  
I turned back to the Muggle television, and got ready to wait. The pizza arrived, and Ron and I pigged out (there is no other word for what we did) in front of the TV.  
  
"How come we don't have our own network or something? I think we should have Wizard TV," Ron said.  
  
I laughed, "Wizard TV? What about Witch TV? Huh?"  
  
"Yeah, well, we'll see," Ron said.  
  
We returned to the topic about how stupid some of these Muggle programs were. As it got later, older episodes came on. As we were flipping through channels, we saw an old rerun of Bewitched, which Ron and I spent fifteen minutes laughing over before turning the channel.  
  
At ten o'clock, we were still watching TV. I was curled up on the couch. Ron was sprawled on the recliner.  
  
"It's ten o'clock. Why don't you go to bed?" Ron suggested.  
  
I looked up at him, and gave him a look that said, "Yeah, right. You must be crazy."  
  
He gave up the topic, and we went back to watching TV.  
  
At ten thirty, I got up and got us both some lemonade, which Ron and I drank in about ten seconds each.  
  
It was about five minutes after eleven when the apartment door finally opened. Immediately wide awake, I sat up on the couch and leaned over the back. Ron, too, sat up on the recliner. I could hear Harry in the hallway.  
  
I held my breath, but both Ron and I remained silent.  
  
Harry walked into the living room, and grinned.  
  
"I should've known you two would be awake," Harry said, laughing.  
  
I rolled my eyes, and replied, "Oh, come on, like we'd miss this! So, what did she say?"  
  
"She said yes," Harry told us.  
  
I squealed, and Ron got up, and patted Harry on the back, "Congratulations, mate."  
  
"Harry and Sarah are getting married!" I cried, grinning and so awake I didn't think I'd ever get to sleep.  
  
"That's great!" Meg said when I told her.  
  
It was Sunday a few days later, just after noon. Meg and I were in my room. Harry and Ron were running around the apartment. We were going to the Weasley's for Sunday dinner, partly so Harry and Sarah could tell them their good nes, partly because we wanted to.  
  
"Anya and I are going out for dinner tonight," Meg told me, "Someplace really nice."  
  
I smiled, "That's great. Do you know where?"  
  
"No, Anya wanted to make it a surprise," Meg said.  
  
There was a knock on my bedroom door, and then it opened. Sarah appeared in the doorway, smiling.  
  
"Erika, Megan, Harry sent me to tell you it's time to go," Sarah said, grinning.  
  
Meg and I left, and I waved goodbye to Meg as she used Floo Powder to get back to her house. A minute later, Harry, Ron, Sarah, and I used Floo Powder to get to the Weasleys (Harry, Ron, and Sarah could have Apparated, but for my sake they didn't).  
  
As usual, the moment we arrived the Weasley's house was full of activity. Mrs. Weasley came rushing in to the room.  
  
"Ron, Harry, Sarah, Erika! Oh, lovely, you've arrived!" she shouted, smiling and hugging each of us, "You can go out back. Ginny, and the twins are already here. Hermione should be here any minute . . ."  
  
We all nodded, and went outside. Fred and George roared welcomes, and nearly killed their younger brother by presenting him with a flower that immediately blew up in his face.  
  
"Our latest product, to use on certain girls who annoy you," George announced, "We're still testing. They'll be on sale next month!"  
  
We all laughed.  
  
"Business going well?" Harry asked.  
  
"Spectacular!" Fred replied.  
  
Ron looked around the backyard, "Hey, where's Sally and Katie?"  
  
"Ah, Sally had to work today," George said, referring to his girlfriend.  
  
"Katie had a family obligation," Fred told us, referring to his girlfriend.  
  
Ginny came over, grinning, and waving.  
  
"Hi, guys! Good summer so far?" she asked.  
  
"Very good," I replied, glancing at Sarah and Harry (Harry shot me a look that clearly told me to shut up, so I did).  
  
Ginny raised her eyebrows, but said nothing.  
  
Mrs. Weasley came out the door with Hermione.  
  
"Nearly ready. Has anyone seen Arthur? I haven't seen him for at least a half an hour . . ." Mrs. Weasley said.  
  
"He went into the shed, Mum," Ginny replied.  
  
"ARTHUR! DINNER TIME!" Mrs. Weasley shouted, annoyed that her husband would choose to look over some Muggle contraption rather than help her with dinner.  
  
I whispered to Ginny, "Never a dull moment here."  
  
Ginny just laughed.  
  
Finally, the table was set and we all sat down for dinner.  
  
The conversation was very funny at times, and not quite serious at all. It was a lot of fun, and I stuffed my face.  
  
Near the end of the meal, Harry and Sarah stood up to make their announcement, one of the reasons we'd come.  
  
"Everyone," Harry said, calming everyone into silence within a matter of seconds, "Sarah and I have an announcement to make."  
  
Sarah grinned.  
  
"We're engaged," Harry told them.  
  
Mrs. Weasley squealed, "Oh, how wonderful!"  
  
Suddenly everyone was standing and shaking their hands. After Mrs. Weasley was done hugging them both, I saw her turn to Ron.  
  
"When are you going to find yourself a nice girl, hm?" she asked.  
  
Ron turned red, and mummbled something. I laughed.  
  
Some time after, Harry and Ron had just got back from work, and we were getting ready for dinner, when a head appeared in our fireplace.  
  
It was Mrs. Weasley.  
  
"Harry, Ron, dears, there's some urgent business that the Order needs you for. Death Eaters are attacking," Mrs. Weasley said.  
  
"Where?" Ron asked.  
  
Mrs. Weasley gave them the place, and said, "Your father's already left. You'd best hurry."  
  
"We will," Harry replied.  
  
"I have to go," Mrs. Weasley said, and popped away.  
  
Harry and Ron set into immediate action, grabbing wands and robes.  
  
"Erika," Harry said, "I don't know when we'll be back. You can go over to Meg's if you want, or you can wait here."  
  
"I'll stay here," I told him.  
  
Harry nodded, "Okay, just be careful. Don't let anyone up. We'll be back as soon as we can. Okay?"  
  
"Yeah," I said.  
  
Harry and Ron apparated away, leaving me alone in the apartment. I locked the door and continued to make dinner, this time only for myself.  
  
There was a pop and then a crash as someone landed right on the hearth.  
  
I turned around, spatula ready to hit anyone.  
  
But it was Meg, covered in ashes.  
  
"Erika? Why are you holding a spatula like that? It looks sort of . . . weird," Meg said.  
  
I laughed, and lowered it, "I wasn't expecting you. Did Anya go, too?"  
  
"Yeah. She told me to come over here. She wasn't to fond of the idea of leaving me alone," Meg said.  
  
"Well, then, why don't you eat dinner with me, and you can hang out here until they come back," I offered.  
  
Meg didn't refuse, and we finished the dinner and sat down in front of the TV to eat it. We sat there for a while after our dinner was done.  
  
"Erika," Meg said, "Haven't you ever thought that . . . you know, they might not come back from a fight with the Death Eaters."  
  
I nodded, "Yep."  
  
"But you don't seem worried," Meg whispered.  
  
I didn't look at her for a minute, and then turned to my best friend, and said, "That's because I'm not worried, not completely at least. Sure, I'm worried something might go wrong. But I know Harry. He's real powerful, and I know that he can handle himself. He's very courageous, too. But I know he'd do anything to make sure he could come back. He doesn't want to lose Sarah or I. He loves Sarah, that much is clear, else they wouldn't be engaged. And I'm pretty sure he wouldn't want to lose his only sister, even if I can be annoying at times, as he so kindly points out."  
  
I looked at Meg, and laughed. Meg laughed too.  
  
"When's Sarah joining the Order?" Meg asked.  
  
I shrugged, "Sometime really soon. They're making the Veritaserum that they have to question her with."  
  
Meg raised an eyebrow, "I didn't know they questioned them with that."  
  
I nodded, "Harry told me. They added it to the whole process this year. They want to be extra careful, what, with the spy in Hogwarts and everything else. Plus, what happened with Wormtail."  
  
I let my sentence trail, not really wanting to finish it. Meg understood, and left the matter alone.  
  
Later that night, Harry and Ron returned, exhausted, but not hurt.  
  
"Meg," Harry said, "You can go home now. Anya's waiting."  
  
She nodded, and waved goodbye to me before leaving with some Floo Powder. Harry and Ron said goodnight, and went into their rooms without a meal. I was sure I heard someone collapse on one of their beds, but I wasn't sure who.  
  
Laughing to myself, I settled in my own bed, and allowed myself to fall asleep.  
  
* * *  
  
Somewhere else  
  
Ruth was standing behind a table, with a large group of Death Eaters across from her. Her face was crestfallen, without hope for the plan they had in front of them.  
  
The door to the room opened, and a dark cloaked man walked in. He whispered something to Ruth, who's expression immediately changed to that of a dark hope. She looked down at the parchment in front of them, and, in one motion, swept them off the table. The Death Eaters stared at her with incredulity.  
  
"There is a new plan," Ruth announced, "During last night's attack, the Potter girl and Megan were left alone by their respective guardians. I believe that with the right plan, we could kill them during a time of circumstances similar to those of the last night."  
  
One of the Death Eaters spoke, "My lady, you forget, while they are close to each other or in their homes, they can not be hurt."  
  
"I did not forget, you fool. With the right plan, I believe we could seduce them from their homes and away from each other, and kill them. It will require careful planning, but I want it carried out before the beginning of the next school year. It will be harder to kill them when they are under the protection of Dumbledore. Is that understood?" Ruth asked.  
  
There was no sound in the room. Ruth raised her chin, and gave the group a triumphant and confident look.  
  
"Good. Then let us begin planning," she said.  
  
Author's Note- And that was chapter 26! Thanks to Oliverwoodschic (did I spell that right?) who's been emailing me and compelling me to finish this chapter! Snaps to Oliverwoodschic! Lol. Well, now that that's over, I must go into my usual speech: Review! Blah blah blah! Check out my other stories, including the prequel to this story "Lily's Lake"! Blah blah blah!  
  
Any additional comments can be sent to me at StarlightEve111@aol.com 


	28. History Repeats Itself

Author's Notes- this is chapter 27 of "Erika - The Legacy of Lily and James". Something's going to happen that was hinted at in chapter 26 . . . a big hint, actually! And, finally, I'VE REACHED 50 REVIEWS!!! THANK YOU!!! Oh, yes, if anyone likes the Violet Eyes and Silver Eyes books by Nicole Luiken, check out my fic for them! Well, I hope you enjoy this. Read and review!  
  
Disclaimer- I own nothing. It all belongs to the great Harry Potter people, and I am, sadly, not one of those numbers. I am not getting paid.  
  
Erika - The Legacy of Lily and James  
  
It was the day before Harry's birthday. I had just returned from a shopping trip with Meg in Diagon Alley to buy Harry a gift. Meg had returned to her house, while I returned to the apartment. Harry and Ron had been gone for a good part of the night, and, seeing as how it was Sunday, had slept in late. At least I thought so, until they came bursting into the apartment with Sarah.  
  
"I thought you were in bed," I said, sitting down at the table with a soda.  
  
"Nope," Ron replied, simply, and got himself a soda too.  
  
Sarah smiled at me, and announced, "Well, it's offical, I'm now a member of the Order of the Phoenix! I was admitted last night."  
  
"Really? That's great. Why didn't you guys tell me?" I asked.  
  
"I didn't know until last night," Sarah answered.  
  
Harry added, "And we were forbidden to tell anyone, even family members."  
  
"And who, pray tell, was I going to go and blab to?" I asked, rolling my eyes.  
  
"Someone could have overheard," Harry pointed out.  
  
I waved my arms at the apartment around us, "Harry, it's our apartment. Highly protected, mind you. No one would have heard."  
  
Harry rolled his eyes, and got himself a soda. I turned my attention to Sarah.  
  
"What was it like?" I asked.  
  
Sarah sat down, and answered, "Well, first of all, they didn't tell me until last night. When I got there, Harry and a man named Snape were waiting for me. I didn't see anyone until after they administered the test. They used Veritaserum, and asked me questions."  
  
"Like what?" I asked.  
  
Sarah shrugged, "They started with easy stuff, my name, age, where I had been born, that sort of stuff. Then they asked wether I had been involved in any of the usage of Dark Arts, or if I supported Voldemort. Stuff like that."  
  
"Erika," Harry warned.  
  
"I'm not going to tell anyone," I said, and then asked Sarah, "Then what?"  
  
"Well, once they were satisfied, they left me in the room with Snape, while Harry went to tell everyone else that I'd passed. And I was admitted. Ta da. Not much to tell," Sarah replied.  
  
I laughed, "It must have been weird, being under Veritaserum."  
  
"Very weird," Sarah agreed, "But it's much weirder that I can't tell my family what I'm up to. My mom's paranoid about what I'm doing over here. She thinks I'm going to get killed."  
  
"What do you tell her?" I asked.  
  
Sarah shrugged, "That I'm perfectly fine and she shouldn't worry. She's absolutely bonkers, my mother. I'm not allowed to go two days without owling her, and I'll tell you something, it's awfully hard on my owl."  
  
"I bet," I said.  
  
"She's lucky," Ron announced, "You-Know-Who hasn't gotten to America, yet."  
  
"Do you think he will?" I asked, turning to look at Ron.  
  
Sarah sighed, and Harry said, "If we can't stop him, I'm sure he will, Erika."  
  
"People are greedy," Sarah agreed, "And Voldemort most of all. If he conquers all of England, which he won't, he won't stop there. He won't rest until the universe is his. That's why we've gotta stop him."  
  
"Why is England the only one fighting, then?" I asked.  
  
Harry shrugged, "Dumbledore's been trying to get Fudge to send out for help from other countries, other ministries, but he refuses. He has his stupid head stuck up so far in the clouds he thinks we're doing so well we don't need help."  
  
"We do, don't we?" I asked, quietly.  
  
Harry nodded, "The number of Death Eaters has doubled. More and more people are thinking that, unless they join Voldemort, they'll be killed. And, unfortunately, the number of those in the Order is not following the same trend."  
  
"There's a strong possibly we'll lose," Ron whispered.  
  
I put my chin up, and said, "But there's a possibilty we'll win. And that's worth fighting for. If I could, I'd join the Order right now. Meg would, too. We want him gone just as much as you guys. Harry, the Order won't stop fighting, will they?"  
  
"No," Harry said, "That's one thing I'm sure of. If it's down to me, I'll make sure the Order never gives up, and never stops fighting. And every single member feels the same way. If we have to, we'll die fighting."  
  
For Harry's birthday, we decided to go to a muggle resturant. Which involved dressing up. There were a lot of us going. There was Harry, Ron, Hermione, Sarah, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Anya, Meg, and I. That evening, before we left, Hermione, Meg, Sarah, and I were in my room. Meg had never expirenced muggle dining, and had no idea how to dress.  
  
"What about this red skirt?" Sarah asked, holding up a skirt.  
  
I shook my head, "No. I still say we go with dark blue for her tonight."  
  
"Dark blue?" Hermione repeated, "It would look good. But I don't know if we have any dark blue skirts . . ."  
  
As Meg had no muggle clothes of her own (well, other than those she wore during school), I was allowing her full run of my closet. She was sitting quietly on my bed as we debated her outfit.  
  
"I'm sure we do," I said.  
  
I sighed, and then stood up off my bed.  
  
"How about this? It's too big for me, and we can shrink it to her size, or, rather you can seeing as how I can't do magic outside of school . . . stupid underadge wizardry law . . ." I said, adding the last part under my breath.  
  
I earned a few raised eybrows, but, all in all, they agreed. Sarah shrunk the dress a little to fit her. And so, eventually, we were ready to go. The others were waiting in the living room for us. Ron looked rather impatient.  
  
"Done?" he asked.  
  
"Ron," Hermione stated, "For once in your life, shut your mouth!"  
  
It would have been a spectacular argument, I'm sure, had Mrs. Weasley not intervened.  
  
"Not now. We're late as it is. Now, is everyone ready?" she asked, smiling at the rest of us.  
  
Argument over. We all left, and I heard Mrs. Weasley stop her son on the staircase down.  
  
"Now, Ron, this is Harry's birthday. Can't you at least be civil and not argue with people?" Mrs. Weasley asked.  
  
I nearly bit my lip off to keep from laughing. Meg, who was walking beside me, wasn't as lucky, and let out a laugh before surpressing it into a cough and biting her lip, like me. We exchanged a glance that nearly got us laughing again, but we held.  
  
The resturant wasn't that far from the apartment, so we walked, Harry, Ron, and Mrs. Weasley first, Sarah and Hermione next, Mrs. Weasley and Anya after them, with Meg and I in the rear (though there were a few cases where people actually stopped to make sure we were still there, as though we were going to run away or something).  
  
Once we arrived, our reservations still held, and we were seated in five minutes, with menus in hand. A few minutes later we ordered, and it took them about a half our to get our food out. During which time Ron made a rather loud comment about how slow Muggles cook and how bereft they must feel without magic.  
  
Of course, this caused everyone at our table to look around rapidly to see if anyone noticed. No one had, but Ron received a scolding from a stern Mrs. Weasley.That was amusing, even if the incident that had caused it wasn't as much so.  
  
Once our food arrived, the conversation turned to Harry and Sarah's wedding.  
  
"Have you decided when you're having it?" Mrs. Weasley asked.  
  
"We're thinking about next summer, so Erika will be out of school," Sarah said, smiling.  
  
Mrs. Weasley was evidently pleased, "Oh, how wonderful, a summer wedding! Have you thought about where the ceremony is going to be?"  
  
Sarah and Harry exchanged looks.  
  
"We were thinking about Hogwarts. Since such large gatherings aren't exactly safe, we thought we might help the security by having it at Hogwarts, plus it's very pretty there during the summer," Harry said.  
  
"It's absolutely beautiful!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed, "With the lake and the forrest, and the castle! It will be beautiful!"  
  
Ron snorted into his food, which received him a look from Mrs. Weasley, who continued talking to Harry and Sarah about wedding plans. Meg and I listened for a while, and eventually got bored.  
  
After dressert we walked back to the apartment, where we gave Harry our gifts. At about ten o'clock, everyone went home, and I fell into my bed exhausted.  
  
* * *  
  
Somewhere else  
  
That night  
  
Ruth was in the same room as before, bare and cold as always. She stood around a table with a few other hand-picked Death Eaters (some of which included family), finalizing the plans.  
  
The door opened, and another Death Eater entered, holding himself in the trying-to-look-proud-but-scared-to-death walk the Death Eaters had adopted around Ruth.  
  
"Lady Ruth," he said, "I bring you some news that may help."  
  
Ruth looked annoyed, but asked, "What is it?"  
  
"I discovered the charm Dumbledore put on Erika Potter and Megan, to protect them in each other's presence," the Death Eater said.  
  
Ruth raised an eyebrow, half-way between annoyed and pleased, "And?"  
  
"And I've found the countercharm. It's rather easy. You just need to perform it on both of them, and the charm will be disabled. You can kill them in each other's presence," the Death Eater said.  
  
Ruth's expression was pleased, but her voice was still cold, "Good. You will report to me tomorrow morning to show me the charm. And tomorrow night, we begin."  
  
* * *  
  
The next morning  
  
As told by Erika Rose Potter  
  
The next morning Harry and Ron left to go to work as usual. I went over to Meg's and we watched TV and worked on our homework. I left at five, when Anya came back, despite the dinner invitation Anya offered.  
  
Harry and Ron were back at the same time as me.  
  
"How was work?" I asked.  
  
Ron groaned in reply.  
  
"Sounds fun," I said, and started to get some glasses out for dinner.  
  
"Sarah's coming for dinner," Harry told me.  
  
I nodded, and grabbed another glass from the cabinet.  
  
"So, Erika, what did you do today?" Harry asked, sitting down in one of the kitchen chairs.  
  
"I went over to Meg's," I answered.  
  
Before anyone could say anything else, there was the poppin gsound that gave us the second warning that someone was apparating.  
  
I expected Sarah, but I was wrong. Instead, Ginny Weasley stood in our living room.  
  
"Harry, Ron, Mum told me to tell you that a bunch of Death Eaters are in London, and the Order's off to fight them. Mum and Dad have already left," Ginny said.  
  
Harry nodded, "I'll get Sarah. Ron, I'll meet you there."  
  
They agreed, and Harry and Ron disapparated. Ginny turned to me.  
  
"Hey, Erika. Mum won't let me go to fight. She think's I'm too young. But, if you want, I can stay with you, hang out," she suggested, "It's better than just sitting around. I have to go finish my messengering, but it won't take long."  
  
I nodded, "Okay. Meg'll be over soon, too, I think."  
  
"All right. I'll see you soon, then," Ginny said, and apparated away.  
  
I was left alone in the apartment.  
  
I was only alone for about a half hour before I heard a hooting sound coming from the hall window. I knew it wasn't Hedwig, she always came in through Harry's window.  
  
I looked into the hallway to see a black owl in the window, a piece of parchment clutched in its beak.  
  
Quickly, I opened the window, and the owl swooped in, dropping the letter before leaving.  
  
I picked up the parchment, and read it.  
  
"Potter, we have your brother. Prepare to be alone again."  
  
It was signed with the Dark Mark.  
  
I shut the window and stood there for a minute, feeling cold and  
  
After my hesitiation, I ran to the door and opened it.  
  
Outside the building was the normal London sounds. But I knew that somewhere in the city there was a fight ensuing.  
  
Ginny had told Ron and Harry where to go, and since I had been there, I knew as well. And that was where I was headed.  
  
It wasn't far, and after a few minutes of running, I could hear the sounds of the fight. The voices blended together, but I couldn't pick out Harry's voice.  
  
I took another step before I heard a popping sound behind me.  
  
"Don't move, or youll be dead before your next thought," a voice behind me said.  
  
Ruth. I froze. I knew that if I were Meg, she would taunt me, giving me time. But I didn't trust the scenario with me. So I stayed where I was.  
  
"Good little brat, aren't you?" she asked, "Remind me of your mother, always dashing off to save people. You're going to die, just like her."  
  
I didn't say anything, but I was burning. Mum.  
  
"Stupefy!" she shouted.  
  
That was the last thing I heard.  
  
* * *  
  
Same time  
  
As told by Harry James Potter  
  
"Harry!" I heard someone shouted.  
  
I ignored the shouts until the Death Eater in front of me was stupefied, and then stepped away. I found Ginny Weasley, standing behind several of the Order members, clutching something in her hand.  
  
"Ginny? What are you doing here?" I asked.  
  
"I was going to stay with Erika while you guys were fighting, but when I went back to your apartment, Erika was gone!" Ginny said.  
  
I interuppted, "Maybe she's at Megan's."  
  
"No! I went there, too! Besides, I found this on your hallway floor," Ginny said, and handed me the piece of parchment in her hands.  
  
I took it from her and read it.  
  
"She's here," I said, "They tricked her."  
  
Ginny nodded, "Yes, and we have to find her! Megan's house was empty. She's probably here, as well."  
  
I looked out among the crowd of fighting people, but I couldn't see my sister.  
  
"Your mum doesn't want you here. Go and wait somewhere. I'll see if I can find Erika and Megan," I said.  
  
Ginny looked annoyed, "I can help, Harry! I'm old enough now!"  
  
"Tell your mum that, not me!" I said, annoyed, "I have to go find my sister!"  
  
Ginny sighed, and disapparated. I ran back to the front line and told the others. Two young witches who couldn't use magic and probably didn't have their wands on them were somewhere nearby. And Ruth wanted desperately to kill both of them.  
  
* * *  
  
A few minutes later  
  
As told by Erika Rose Potter  
  
I barely had a mment to wake up before I felt the ropes around my wrists and ankles. I couldn't move anything but my head. I turned my face and saw Meg, lying on the ground, tied in the same fashion, about four feet from me. And Ruth was standing over her.  
  
"Good," she said, "You're both awake."  
  
Meg turned, and looked at me.  
  
Ruth raised her wand, her smile triumphant and evil, the exact smile that made her look like her grandfather's heir.  
  
"You're not safe anymore, girls. That little charm Dumbledore put on you is about to be destroyed," she told us.  
  
I turned white, I was sure. I didn't know what she was talking about, but it didn't sound good.  
  
Ruth shouted something, something I would never remember because of the shock that followed.  
  
It had the same effect of a layer of skin being removed, only invisible and not entirely painful. But it left me feeling vulnerable, just as it was supposed to.  
  
"Erika!" Meg shouted, "The spell! The protection one, about us being so far apart and close! It doesn't work anymore!"  
  
And I understood.  
  
Ruth, angry, kicked her sister in the side. I turned to my ropes, and manuveryed my face so that I could bite at the ties. And I started to.  
  
"I've had enough of you, Megan!" Ruth shouted, "I offer to spare your life and you do this! I'm through! Avada . . ."  
  
"Lady Ruth!' one of the Death Eaters nearby shouted, "Potter!"  
  
I had my hands undone just as she looked my way.  
  
"Watch Megan!" Ruth barked, crossed her sister to walk towards me.  
  
I reached for my ankle, and had my hands on the rope.  
  
"Stop! Crucio!" Ruth shouted.  
  
Pain overtook me, and for a moment all was lost as I let out a surprised scream. But I knew I had to fight, or else Meg and I would die. So I forced myself to think aobut the ropes at my ankles, and not the terrible pain.  
  
It was like being blind and finding a needle. I could hardly see through the tears in my eyes, and I was groping blindly for the knot.  
  
And there it was. I slid my fingers through it, and started to pull.  
  
"Stop! Stop!" I could barely hear Ruth shouting.  
  
"Sarah!" Meg shouted in the darkness.  
  
Shouting erupted, and suddenly, the pain was gone, leaving me shaking on the ground.  
  
I lifted my head a little and saw a fight, red lights going every way. Meg had been hit with one.  
  
The red lights, several stunning spells, came from a new group of people across the alley. Among them I could see Harry, Ron, Sarah, and Hermione. I saw Ruth disapparate, along with another Death Eater, probably to somewhere away from the battle.  
  
And then, I, too, was hit with a stunning spell.  
  
"Erika?" Harry asked as we sat near the alley.  
  
A Medi-wizard stood over me.  
  
"I'm fine," I whispered.  
  
Harry looked up at the Medi-wizard, who nodded and said, "She'll be fine. A few bruises from the way she fell, but she'll be fine, considering. Wait before you stand, else you'll be dizzy."  
  
"Okay," I agreed.  
  
The Medi-wizard moved away.  
  
"Meg?" I asked.  
  
Harry nodded, "She's fine. Anya's sitting with her. She's in the same condiition as you, just about."  
  
"Sarah? Hermione? Ron? Mr. and Mrs. Weasley?" I asked.  
  
"Everyone's fine. There weren't a lot of Death Eaters where we were," Harry replied.  
  
I sighed, and moved slowly into a sitting position.  
  
"I'm sorry I left," I said.  
  
"It's okay. Next time we'll make sure that you aren't left alone," Harry responded.  
  
I paused and added, " I'm so gulliable."  
  
"Yeah, you are," Harry agreed, then laughed, "You aren't, not really. I would've done the same thing."  
  
Sarah came up, her face slightly pale and her robes dirty.  
  
"Erika, are you okay?" she asked.  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine," I answered.  
  
Sarah smiled, "Good. Harry, Dumbledore's just arrived. He wants to see us, Meg, and Anya."  
  
Harry nodded, "Okay. Where is he?"  
  
"Over there," Sarah replied, and pointed.  
  
We went over. Meg and Anya were waiting.  
  
"Hello Mr. Potter, Miss Potter, Miss Johnson, Miss Jones, Miss Riddle," Dumbledore said, smiling at us.  
  
"Professor," we all answered.  
  
"First I wish to talk to Miss Potter and Miss Riddle about their encounter, if I may, with Ruth," Dumbledore said, "And then I must speak to Mr. Potter and Miss Johnson."  
  
We nodded, and Meg and I told him what happened.  
  
"What I didn't understand is what Ruth said about me being like Mum," I said when we were done.  
  
"Has anyone ever told you how your aunt Violet died?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
I shook my head, "No, not really."  
  
"Miss Jones, I want you to take Miss Riddle and Miss Potter back to your apartment. I wish to talk with the others. When you arrive, I want you to tell Miss Potter about Violet Evans," Dumbledore said.  
  
Anya nodded, "Okay."  
  
Once we were back at Anya and Meg's apartment (a few blocks to a underground station and then a few blocks to their apartment), Meg went upstairs to "clean up" which was a good idea. We were both a mess from lying in a dirty alleyway.  
  
In the meanwhile, Anya sat me down in the living room with a drink of water, and found her picture album, the one she had duplicated to give me. She opened it, and looked around for a while.  
  
"You've seen pictures of your aunt Violet, and, if I'm not mistaken, you know the basic part of her death. It was a couple of years after the death of your grandparents. Violet was entering her second year at Hogwarts, so she was a bit younger than you, a few months, maybe. She wasn't really a target of Voldemort, who was the on the rise, but her older sister, Lily, was," Anya said.  
  
"Mum," I whispered.  
  
Anya nodded, "Yes. Lily had graduated a year before, and was living in London with her three best friends, Andrea, Netta, and I. Voldemort kept trying to get to Lily, but she always evaded him. Well, Violet got on the train to go to Hogwarts for her second year, and something happened on the train. Voldemort and his Death Eaters stopped the train and took Violet off. They lured Lily to where she was, where Voldemort hoped to kill them. I'm not quite sure what happened there, Lily never really talked about it. But he killed Violet, and Lily escaped."  
  
"Using the sibling to get the prey," I said, "That's what Ruth meant. But instead of Violet, it was Harry, and instead of Mum, it was me."  
  
Again, Anya nodded, and replied, "History repeats itself, again."  
  
There was a sound in the chimney, and then Harry appeared in the fireplace.  
  
"Hi, Erika, Anya," he said.  
  
"Erika, are you ready to go home? We're done talking to Dumbledore, and I'm exhausted," Harry asked.  
  
I nodded, "Yeah. Bye Anya, thanks for telling me. Tell Meg I said goodbye."  
  
"I will," Anya said.  
  
The last thing I saw of Anya's apartment before I went spinning off home was Anya closing the album, sighing.  
  
A/N- DONE! Oliverwoodschic, I got it done by Friday! All right, I know this took a while to write, but I had a very bad case of writer's block. Thanks to all who reviewed, and everyone who has me on their favs. You're the best! Now, I have to do some school work . . . Buh-bye!  
  
Any additional comments can be given to me at StarlightEve111@aol.com  
  
REVIEW!!!!!!!!! 


	29. Leaking Press

Author's Notes- Hi, guys (and gals). I'm back with chapter 28. Yay!! Thanks to all who have emailed me or reviewed (or both). You guys rock. Seriously. Now, to the story. I've surpassed 50 reviews, and I'm getting to the point where the sequel will be longer than the prequel (Lily's Lake). That's a good thing. But I won't waste my breath with this. READ AND REVIEW!!!  
  
Disclaimer- I own nothing, obviously. It all belongs to the great Harry Potter People. I am NOT getting paid in any sort or form (unless you count amusement as payment).  
  
Erika - TheLegacy of Lily and James  
  
It was three weeks before school started again. I came out of my bedroom one Sunday, surprisingly huper considering the fact that it was morning. Maybe that was because I knew the plans for the day.  
  
"Quidditch today!" I said to Harry and Ron, who were already sitting in the kitchen.  
  
Ron yawned, and mummled something.  
  
We were going over to the Weasley's for lunch. Which meant a guaranteed day of Quidditch.  
  
"We have to wait for the others to get here before we leave," Harry reminded me.  
  
I took an apple from the counter and sat down.  
  
"Who's going to be there, anyway?" I asked, then bit into my apple.  
  
"Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, obviously. I think Fred and George might be there, Ginny, her boyfriend, and us," Harry said.  
  
I looked over at Ron, who was busy playing with his sleeve.  
  
"Nervous?" I asked.  
  
Ron looked up.  
  
"Don't worry," I said, "Your mum'll love her. She'll probably start talking about you as a baby."  
  
Ron didn't laugh.  
  
He was bringing his girlfriend to meet his parents for the first time.  
  
"And that's the worst-case scenario," I added.  
  
Ron still looked ready to vomit.  
  
There was the fimiliar popping sound, and then Hermione apparated into our living room.  
  
"Hermione," Harry said, surprised, "You're early. We aren't leaving for another hour."  
  
Hermione nodded, "I know. But I have to show you three this. I found it this morning."  
  
It was the Daily Prophet, the one that hadn't been delivered yet.  
  
"Voldemort Strikes Again," read the headline.  
  
I felt sick.  
  
"On the evening of August 2nd, Voldemort and his Death Eagers attacked Diagon Alley, hed at bay by a few brave and yet-to-be-identified witches and wizards. Though Voldemort himself was not seen, a woman the Ministry identified as Ruth, his grand-daughter, was. But it seemed she had little interest in the fighting.  
  
"Instead, it was reported that Ruth concerned hrself with two young witches, her younger sister, Megan (currently attending Hogwarts and under the protection and care of Albus Dumbledore and one of his professors, who is unidentified), and Erika Potter, the sisterof Harry Potter, the boy who lived.  
  
"Amazingly, both escaped alive and the Death Eaters were forced into retreat. More information to follow."  
  
"'More information to follow?' I highly doubt that! How do they know all this?" I asked, jabbing at the paper, "No one was supposed to know about Meg and me!"  
  
Harry nodded, and said, "It has to be someone in the Oder. NO one else knew. But who would tell the press?"  
  
"Maybe it was mistake," Ron reasoned.  
  
But no one agreed with him.  
  
"I have to tell Meg," I whispered.  
  
Harry nodded, "Okay. I'll take you over there. Hermione, go find Dumbledore and tell him. Ron, you can wait here for the others, tell them what happened, and then go to your parents' house. We'll be there as soon as we can."  
  
We all nodded.  
  
I went into my room and threw on some robes. Even though I only took a minute, Hermione and Ron were both gone by the time I came out.  
  
Anya was in the kitchen when we arrived. I went first, scrammbling out of the fireplace.  
  
"Meg! Anya!" I shouted.  
  
Anya had already appeared in the doorway.  
  
"Erika?" she asked, "What are you doing here?"  
  
"We need to talk," I said, and handed her the Daily Prophet.  
  
Harry appeared behind me. A second later Meg came clambering down the stairs.  
  
"Hi," she said.  
  
"Read this," I told her.  
  
She read it over Anya's shoulder while Harry and I waited, silently.  
  
"How do they know all this?" Anya asked.  
  
We shrugged.  
  
"We think it was someone in the Order," I said.  
  
Meg nodded, "That'd make sense. They were the only ones who know, at least, until now."  
  
"I'll call a meeting tonight. We can discuss it there," Anya decided.  
  
That matter settled, Harry and I continued to the Weasleys', where everyone was waiting.  
  
"Is everything okay?" Mrs. Weasley asked when we walked into the yard.  
  
We nodded.  
  
All attention turned to Ron's new girlfriend, Lizzie. True to my prediction, Mrs. Weasley was absolutely thrilled with her.  
  
"I'm so happy Ron's finally find a nice girl," Mrs. Weasley said.  
  
"Mum . . ." Ron hissed, turning red.  
  
"Now, Lizzie, what did you say you do again?" Mrs. Weasley asked.  
  
Lizzie answered, "I work in Muggle Relations, since my dad's a muggle, and I know a lot about them."  
  
That caught Mr. Weasley's attention. He immediately turned to her.  
  
"Muggle? How interesting. Now, Lizzie, tell me, how does electricity work?" Mr. Weasley asked.  
  
"Dad!" Ron hissed.  
  
We all laughed.  
  
Soon enough, Mrs. Weasley went inside to finish the meal, so we could begin our Quidditch.  
  
There were ten of us left to play, though not everone was willing (Hermione). But, eventually, we were all in the air.  
  
"Two teams of five," Fred explained, "Two chasers, a keeper, one beater, and a seeker. How about Erika, Sarah, Ron, Ginny, and I on one team; and George, Harry, Lizzie, Hermione, and Chris on the other."  
  
Chris's Ginny's boyfriend.  
  
We all agreed on the teams, and George took out the balls. Harry and Ginny were the seekers, Ron and Chris the keeprs, while Sarah, Hermione, Lizzie, and I were chasers.  
  
My team flew to our edge of the "field" and listened while Fred gave us a pre-game speech.  
  
"We've got pretty good odds. I'm an expirienced Beater, Ron's a Keeper, Ginny's and awesome seeker, and Erika here is a great Chaser, taking after her brother in the Quidditch skills. So, I say we slaughter them!" Fred shouted.  
  
We all laughed, and shouted before finally falling into formation.  
  
Then the balls were let loose.  
  
It was nothing like playing at Hogwarts, but it was just as much fun. Ginny and I did loops in the air whenever we scored. Sarah thought we were crazy in the beginning, but joined in after a while.  
  
We were up by one when Mrs. Weasley came out.  
  
"Lunch, you lot!" she shouted.  
  
"Aw, Mum, now? We're winning!" Fred whined.  
  
To which Mrs. Weasley just shouted, "Now!"  
  
We abandoned our game, and flew to the ground. We argued for a few minutes, once seated, on who would've won if we hadn't stopped. Mrs. Weasley made us end that conversation just as George was about to suggest abandoning lunch to finish the game.  
  
Mr. Weasley talked before a while about the goings-on in the Ministry.  
  
"We need someone from our side to have Fudge's ear. Lucius Malfoy has it right now, and that is dangerous for us. The Order needs to keep a low profile," Mr. Weasley said.  
  
"But Fudge won't trust anyone who's friends with Dumbledore. He's still afraid that Dumbledore's going to try and overthrow him," I pointed out.  
  
Harry muttered, so I could barely hear him, "Not a bad idea."  
  
"What?" I asked sharply, surprised.  
  
"Nothing," my brother replied, shaking his head.  
  
Ron, his mouth full, suddenly slammed his hand on the table. He swallowed a we all turned to look at him.  
  
"Harry!" he said, "I forgot to tell you! I saw Draco Malfoy at the Ministry a few days ago, with his father. Seems Lucius Malfoy got his son a job in Fudge's personal staff."  
  
Mr. Weasley nodded, "I heard that. Lucius placed Draco there to play spy for him, I'd bet, make sure Lucius' puppet doesn't do anything drastic. And, you know what else, Fudge agreed because he wants to train Draco. That's right, both Lucius and Fudge want Draco to be the next Minister of Magic!"  
  
"You're joking, right?" I asked.  
  
Mr. Weasley shook his head.  
  
"If Draco Malfoy is the next Minister of Magic, we're done for. Us and all the Muggle-born! Not to mention to the Muggles!" I exclaimed.  
  
"Fudge thinks we'll vote for Draco in the future because he'll have experience," Mr. Weasley explained.  
  
I sighed, "We can't vote for him. No matter what."  
  
Lunch ended. We helped clean the table, and everyone started to leave. Harry, Ron, Lizzie, and Sarah apparated to the apartment while I flooed.  
  
When I fell into the hearth of our apartment, everyone else was already there. Ron and Lizzie were saying goodbye (Lizzie had things to do and couldn't stay). Once it was just the four of us we sat down around the TV (only Ro and I were actually watching it, Harry and Sarah were talking).  
  
About five minutes later there was a series of popping sounds. We all turned to the sound, surprised.  
  
A second later a woman appeared, wearing yellow robes. She had curly blond hair, and was looking around the room. Beside her was a younger woman, about Ginny's age. She had wavy brown hair, and was petite.  
  
"Mum?" Sarah shouted, surprised.  
  
Author's Note- Very short, I know. But I was in a rush to write this! And my hand hurts. Writer's cramp . . . is evil. I didn't have a lot of Quidditch, but, hey, there was some. My normal message: if anyone likes the books Violet Eyes and Silver Eyes by Nicole Luiken, read my fic, Crusade of the VioletEyed. I'm trying to get a section for it. Thanks! REVIEW!!!! 


	30. Welcome to a Dark London

Author's Notes- Hey, all. Me again. This is chapter 29 (wow, really, I had no idea!). In our last chap, Sarah's mom and sister showed up at the apartment to everyone's complete surprise. I was originally going to title this chap: Fighting in the Dark, but I changed my mind. So that's the subtitle! Hehe! I don't think I'll say much in this Author's Note, so do continue. READ AND REVIEW!!!  
  
Disclaimer- I own nothing. It all belongs to the Great and Wonderful Harry Potter people. I am not one of them. And I am NOT getting paid. So don't sue me. Not that you'd get very much anyway.  
  
Erika – The Legacy of Lily and James  
  
"Mom?" Sarah shouted, surprised.  
  
"Sarah, thank goodness, I'd thought we had the wrong place," the older woman said.  
  
We all stared. Sarah jumped up, nearly knocking over the glasses we had spread out on the coffee table.  
  
"Um, everyone, this is my mom and little sister, Becky," Sarah said, "Mom, Beck, this is Harry, Ron, and Erika."  
  
There was a series of "pleased to meet you"s, followed by an awkward silence.  
  
Finally, Sarah asked, "What are you doing here?"  
  
"Well, when I heard about the attack a few days ago, I was terribly worried. So your sister and I decided it was time we come and meet everyone," Mrs. Johnson told her daughter.  
  
Sarah hissed, "Mom, I'm fine."  
  
"Yes, yes, I know," Mrs. Johnson replied, "Now, which one of you is Harry Potter?"  
  
"That'd be me," my brother said.  
  
Mrs. Johnson looked at his forehead, and said, "Ah, yes, of course. Hello, dear. And you must be Erika. You look a great deal like your brother. And that means you must be Ron."  
  
We all nodded.  
  
"How did you know I was over here?" Sarah asked.  
  
"Your room-mate told us. We just got in," Mrs. Johnson replied.  
  
"Well," Sarah said, "How long are you here for?"  
  
"We need to be back by mid-September. Mom wants to help you plan the wedding," Becky answered.  
  
Over a month away, I thought.  
  
Harry, who was standing with Sarah, offered them some drinks. Ron and I gave up our seats and sat on the floor. The six of us sat down in the living room.  
  
While Harry and Sarah got us drinks, Mrs. Johnson started talking to me.  
  
"Erika, don't you go to Hogwarts?" Mrs. Johnson asked.  
  
"Yes, I'll be entering my third year in September," I answered.  
  
"Albus Dumbledore is your headmaster, right?" Becky asked.  
  
I nodded, "He's the best Headmaster Hogwarts has ever had. We really like him."  
  
"That's what Sarah said. And this You-Know-Who figure, he's quite dangerous?" Mrs. Johnson asked.  
  
So he hasn't quite reached America yet, I thought.  
  
But I nodded, glumly, "Yes. He killed my parents, their friends, and my best friend's little siser. And that's not even an eight of everyone he's killed."  
  
Mrs. Johnson went white, and shivered.  
  
"But we're safe here, right?" Becky asked.  
  
I shrugged, "I suppose. I'm not dead yet, am I? And I'm not far from the top on his list. Harry's higher up than I am. He really wants Harry dead. He's tried to kill us both a good many times. I've never seen him, but Harry has."  
  
"Erika, don't scare my family," Sarah said, handing out drinks.  
  
"It's all right," Becky protested, "I want to know. If you've never seen him, how has he tried to kill you?"  
  
"He's sent his heir a few times, but I've managed to get away. Plus they tried to poison me last year," I said.  
  
"Oh, dear," Mrs. Johnson whispered.  
  
I nodded, "Yeah, it can get pretty bad."  
  
"Mom," Sarah said, "Harry, Ron, and I have to leave soon. But you can stay here with Erika while we're gone, if you want. Where are you staying?"  
  
"Our things are at your apartment," Mrs. Johnson said, "We'll wait here for you, though. How long will you be gone?"  
  
Sarah shrugged, "We don't know. The Order has to take care of some things."  
  
"No fighting tonight, I hope?" Mrs. Johnson asked.  
  
"I don't think so, Mom. But you never know. Don't worry, that's not what we're going for, though," Sarah answered.  
  
After we finished our drinks Sarah, Ron, and Harry left. Harry made me promise not to scare Sarah's family too much before he left.  
  
"Why not? They should know," I said.  
  
"Erika, Sarah doesn't want them to get worried too much," Harry told me.  
  
I frowned, "Fudge lied to the magical community for a year. We're doing the same thing by not telling him how bad he really is."  
  
Harry sighed, "Tell them only as much as you have to, then, and only if they ask."  
  
I still wasn't happy with that, but I promised to do as he told.  
  
Mrs. Johnson and Becky said goodbye to Sarah, and then the three of us sat back down in the living room.  
  
"Ginny'll be here soon," I said, off-handedly.  
  
"Ginny? Who's she?" Mrs. Johnson asked.  
  
"Oh, Ginny's Ron's little brother. Since her mum won't let her join the Order yet (she insists she's too young), Ginny's been assigned the task to keep me company while Harry, Ron, and Sarah are doing Order business. She's really supposed to watch me, though," I said.  
  
"Why?" Becky asked.  
  
I grinned, "Because I have a tendency to be a bit too gulliable and fall into traps."  
  
"What?" Mrs. Johnson asked, taken back.  
  
I nodded, "You read the story in the Daily Prophet, I'm sure, about me being corned by Ruth Riddle. Yeah, well, that's because she sent me an owl saying she had Harry captive and was going to kill him. Naturally, I ran right out to rescue him, fell into a trap, and nearly got myself killed. Plus, I lost the protection charm Dumbledore'd put on me. So Ginny's supposed to come over whenever there's Order business that would result in my being left alone, make sure I don't do anything stupid that could get me killed."  
  
I had said this all pretty cheerfully, but Mrs. Johnson and Becky just stared, both a little white.  
  
I couldn't help but laugh.  
  
"Welcome to Britian," I said, still laughing.  
  
Ginny appeared a few minutes later, looking very exhausted. She started to say something, but stopped when she saw Mrs. Johnson and Becky.  
  
"Ginny, this is Sarah's mum and sister, Becky," I said.  
  
Ginny waved a little, and replied, "Hullo."  
  
"Hi," Mrs. Johnson said while Becky smiled and repeated what her mum had said.  
  
"They've come to visit Sarah, who had to go to the meeting," I said.  
  
Ginny nodded, "Oh. Okay. Well, I hope Erika here hasn't been boring you. That would be dreadful."  
  
"She hasn't, trust me," Becky whispered.  
  
Ginny shot me a look.  
  
"I've been telling them all about the Voldemort situation," I said.  
  
Ginny shivered, but shook her head, "Erika, I really think we should stick to pleasanter subjects."  
  
"Like bunnies?" I suggested.  
  
Silence. I shrugged.  
  
"Is this your first time in London?" Ginny asked.  
  
"No, I came here once when I was younger. Diagon Alley hasn't changed much. But this is Becky's first time here. She just graduated from Merlin Academy in the US. She starts work in September, that's when we have to be back," Mrs. Johnson explained.  
  
"Meg should be here soon," I announced, a slight bit off-topic.  
  
"Meg?" Becky asked.  
  
I nodded, "My best friend, Megan. She's supposed to join Ginny and I whenever this happens."  
  
"Is she the Megan in the newspaper?" Mrs. Johnson asked.  
  
"Yeah," I replied.  
  
Yet again, Mrs. Johnson went white, a fascinating sight, really. I was terribly amused.  
  
"She's a good person. Slightly reserved and quiet at times," Ginny said.  
  
Becky nodded, "I've read about her in the papers Mom's brought home."  
  
"That's to be expected," Ginny said.  
  
I laughed.  
  
"This Megan . . . she's . . . er . . . You-Know-Who's granddaughter?" Mrs. Johnson asked.  
  
"Yes. Megan Riddle. 'Course she's been disowned for running away and passing information to Dumbledore, so he wants to kill her, too," I explained.  
  
"Goodness," Mrs. Johnson whispered.  
  
"Erika! You're scaring her!" Ginny hissed.  
  
"She should know. Lying to people won't make everything better. It'll only make it worse. People should know what they're facing, else they won't be able to help themselves!" I prosted.  
  
"I'm not saying they shouldn't, Erika. I'm just tellin gyou not to scare them!" Ginny replied.  
  
"I'm not tryin to scare them. I'm just tryin to tell them the truth. Because we have to fight it, and you can't fight well in the dark!" I said.  
  
Everyone was silent. I sat back and sighed.  
  
"I'm sorry. It's just that . . . Voldemort was ruining my life from the day I was born. He killed my parents, and it's because of him I spent the first eleven years of my life in an orphanage without my brother. I get a little . . . sensative on the topic," I explained, quietly.  
  
Mrs. Johnson smiled, and whispered, "It's all right, dear. We understand. You've had a hard life."  
  
"What time is it?" Becky asked.  
  
We all looked to the clock. It was ten-thirty.  
  
"Mom, you look exhausted. Why don't you go back to Sarah's?" Becky suggested.  
  
That was true. Mrs. Johnson didn't look to good.  
  
"Becky can stay here, if she wants. I'd be fine," I added.  
  
Mrs. Johnson nodded, "All right, but only for a little while. Becky, not too late."  
  
"I promise, Mom. Good night!" Becky called.  
  
"Good bye, Erika, Ginny. It was nice to finally meet you both," Mrs. Johnson called, and Disapparated.  
  
"I hope I didn't upset her too much," I whispered.  
  
"No, you're right," Becky whispered, "She should know. 'Sides, she'll get over it, though I expect she'll hope Sarah'll change her mind and come home."  
  
I laughed.  
  
A minute later Meg appeared on the hearth.  
  
"Sorry I'm late. I had to finish the dishes for Anya," Meg told us.  
  
"Meg," I said, "This is Becky, Sarah's sister. She's in London with her mum to surprise Sarah."  
  
Meg smiled, "Pleased to meet you."  
  
Becky nodded. Meg sat down and we were all silent.  
  
"Do you know how long this meeting is supposed to take?" Meg asked.  
  
"A few hours, maybe. They have to find out who's been telling the press about you guys. The Daily Prophet can be rad by anyone, and the Order can't risk the wrong, dangerous, information getting out, like who's in the Order. So they have to find whoever told the Prophet," Ginny explained.  
  
"What do you think'll happen to them?" I asked.  
  
Ginny shrugged, "Modify their memory and turn 'em out of the Order, I'd think. They'd have someone keep an eye on them, of course."  
  
"That seems reasonable," Becky agreed, "Why aren't you all in the Order?"  
  
"Meg and I are too young . . ."I started.  
  
Ginny interuptted, "And my mum won't let me join. Our whole family's in the order, basically. And I'm the only daughter. Mum wouldn't let me. Fred and George have really been trying to get Mum to give in, but she keeps saying no. It's getting very annoying."  
  
"So they assigned her the job of 'protecting' us," I added.  
  
Ginny nodded.  
  
"Well, at least they aren't hard to 'protect'," Becky replied.  
  
I laughed, "Oh, you'd be surprised how much trouble we can get into."  
  
At eleven Becky went back to Sarah's apartment. Ginny, Meg, and I watched some stupid TV shows until Harry and Ron came back. Meg left, and Ginny followed a second later.  
  
"So, what happened?" I asked.  
  
"It was a relatively new member, graduated the same year as Fred and George," Harry told me, "Admitted right away. We modified his memory."  
  
Just like Ginny said they would.  
  
"That's all?" I asked.  
  
Harry nodded, "Yes. Now, I have training tomorrow, so I'm going to bed."  
  
"Night, then," I said.  
  
Harry and Ron went off to bed. I sat in the living room for a few minutes, and then went to bed myself.  
  
"Erika!" Megan shouted, "Erika, come on! We still have to get our books!"  
  
"Just for a few minutes, I promise!" I called over my shoulder.  
  
We were in Diagon Alley to get our school supplies. Anya, Harry, Sarah, and Becky were off somewhere with Mrs. Johnson torturing them with wedding-talk.  
  
"Erika!" Meg protested.  
  
I stopped in front of Quality Quidditch Supplies and looked at the front window. Meg caught up with me and stood beside me.  
  
"Fine, but only for a few minutes. We still have to get our books," Meg reminded me.  
  
I nodded, "I know."  
  
We walked into the store, which was crowded with people.  
  
"What do you want to look at?" Meg asked.  
  
I shrugged, "I dunno. I just wanted to avoid going to the Leaky Cauldron. You know, Mrs. Johnson's all upset because Sarah hasn't picked out a wedding dress yet. And don't say anything about setting a date!"  
  
"I take it you don't like her," Meg said.  
  
"No, no, I like her. She's really nice. She made us breakfast this morning. I think it's just because this is her first daughter's wedding and she wants everything to be perfect," I said, "It's just getting kind of annoying, but in a good way."  
  
Meg nodded, "I get it. Mother-like annoying."  
  
"I guess. I wouldn't really know," I replied, picking up something off the shelves and putting it back.  
  
"Me either. I hardly ever saw my mother. I just heard it about it books and stuff," Meg whispered.  
  
I grinned, "Ah the woes of us."  
  
Meg nodded, "Woes. Our list of complaints never end."  
  
We started laughing, and left the shop. We ran to get our books and met everyone at the Leaky Cauldron.  
  
"Erika, we're going to go look a dresses tomorrow, okay?" Sarah asked.  
  
I nodded, "Sure."  
  
"Good. Come over to Sarah's at nine, then," Mrs. Johnson said.  
  
"Okay," I replied.  
  
"Did you get your supplies?" Anya asked as we sat down at the table with everyone else.  
  
Meg and I pulled out our books in response. Harry looked down at them.  
  
"Divination?" he asked, "Good luck. Trelawney's a nut."  
  
"Dumbledore wants me to take it," Meg explained, "Sharpen my skills and the like. He thinks Professor Trelawney might be able to help me understand what I See."  
  
Harry laughed, "Trelawney can't even understand what she Sees."  
  
"I know, but she's the closest thing I've got to help," Meg said.  
  
No one could really argue that, or they didn't want to, so that conversation ended.  
  
The next day I woke up early and dressed in some Muggle clothes. Harry was waiting for me in the kitchen (Ron was asleep, I could hear him snoring).  
  
"Erika, don't forget your wand," Harry aid, the first thing when I walked in.  
  
"Oh, yeah, 'cause I'm allowed to do magic outside of school," I replied, sarcastically, and rolled my eyes.  
  
"Really, Erika, just in case," Harry said.  
  
I sighed, but tucked my wand into my jacket. Since I was running a little late, my breakfast consisted of some toast before I jumped into some floo-powdered flames.  
  
Mrs. Johnson, Becky, Sarah, and Sarah's roomate, Jackie, were waiting for me.  
  
"Come on. We'll miss our first appointment," Mrs. Johnson said.  
  
The five of us jammed into Jackie's car and headed around London.  
  
Although Mrs. Johnson could be a bit annoying, she and I had just about the same taste in clothes. When a saleswoman tried to get me into a horrid green and brown thing (to call it a dress would be insulting it), Mrs. Johnson had a fit So with a ll five of liking just about the same clothes, the morning went by fast.  
  
* * *  
  
Earlier that day  
  
Harry Potter and Ron Weasley were enjoying their quiet apartment and temporary peace by getting some work done.  
  
Erika had left early that morning, before Ron had even woke up. And although she wasn't too burdensome, when she was bored, she made it clear.  
  
Harry and Ron were sitting at the kitchen table, pouring over some books and papers.  
  
Suddenly, Megan Riddle was standing in the fireplace. She looked like she had just woken up.  
  
"Where's Erika?" she asked, stepping away from the fireplace so Anya, who followed her, could come out.  
  
"She went shopping with Sarah and the others," Harry told her.  
  
Anya said something not considered polite.  
  
"We have to find her," Meg said, "I had a vision last night. Death Eaters... in London. They're angry. They're looking for Erika."  
  
* * *  
  
That afternoon  
  
As told by Erika Rose Potter  
  
We had eaten lunch, and visited another shop. We were all having fun, watching Sarah be put through horrors as she tried on dresses, and then pushed it onto the rest of us.  
  
We were leaving the shop when I saw Anya and Meg running down the street towards us. I grabbed Sarah's arm and pointed. The five of us were standing outside one of the shops, and everyone stopped.  
  
"Erika!" Meg hissed when she caught up to us.  
  
"Meg? Anya? What are you guys doing here? What's going on?" I asked.  
  
"We have to get you out of here, all of you. Meg Saw last night. There are Death Eaters looking around London for you," Anya explained.  
  
I gasped, "What?"  
  
"Yeah. Come on. We can go to the Order's headquarters. You'll be safe enough there, until we can find the others. The Weasleys and Ron are all out looking for you," Anya told us.  
  
"Where is it?" I asked.  
  
"Not far," was all Anya would say.  
  
We walked as fast as we could, looking around us frantically, hoping with all our lives that we wouldn't see some figures in dark robes anywhere near us.  
  
Anya led us to a street, with a bunch of rundown houses. She took out a little piece of paper, and handed it to me.  
  
"Read, memorize, and pass it on," she hissed.  
  
I quickly read the note. "The headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix can be found at number 12 Grimmauld Place." I passed it on, and everyone in the group read it. Anya took it back, and then lit it on fire.  
  
"Think about what you just memorized," Anya hissed.  
  
And, then, suddenly, between two houses was another, and on the doorway was the number 12.  
  
"Get in, get in, hurry!" Anya hissed.  
  
We quickly did as told, and found ourselves standing in a gloomy entrance hallway.  
  
Ginny was waiting for us.  
  
"They found you. Good," she said.  
  
Anya turned to us, "I'll be back. Ginny, take them into the kitchen. Get them some tea or something."  
  
"Where are you going?" Meg asked.  
  
"To see Dumbledore. I have to tell him what happened," Anya said.  
  
She left through a side door, and Ginny led us into the kitchen.  
  
"Well," I said as we sat down at a little table, "This place is definetely... er... cheerfuly."  
  
Ginny grinned, "You should've seen it when the Order first started using it. We've managed to clean out most of the stuff."  
  
"What do you mean?" I asked, "What sort of stuff?"  
  
Ginny just laughed, and offered us all tea.  
  
A few minutes later someone opened the door and Ginny ran out into the hallway.  
  
"Yes, they're here," she called.  
  
Harry and Ron came into the kitchen, and saw us.  
  
"Great. You all are okay, right?" Harry asked.  
  
We all nodded.  
  
Ginny explained everything to Harry and Ron, and eventually the rest of the Weasleys (who arrived soon afterwards). Meanwhile, I turned my attention to the Johnsons.  
  
Mrs. Johnson looked pale. What I had just explained to her a few nights before was hitting reality hard. We had just run for our lives, something Mrs. Johnson was very new at.  
  
"Well," I said, "Welcome to London."  
  
Author's Notes- Well, that's all! Finally! Sorry about the long time lapse between updates, but I've been really busy. My season's just about over, so I'll have more time to type, promise! Thanks to all my diligent reviewers, you guys are the best! I owe you one (or maybe 2 or 3 or 4...)! I hope you enjoyed this chap. I'll see you guys later. Review!!!  
  
Any additional comments can be received by me at StarlightEve111@aol.com 


	31. Fate and Destiny

Author's Note- Hey, all! This is chapter 30. Speical thanks goes out to all who like me enough (why, I ask?) on their favorites or author alert. You guys are the best. Thanks to all who reviewed and have been ever so patient with me (seeing as how this chap took so long). I think that's all I'll say today. READ AND REVIEW!  
  
Disclaimer- I own nothing. It all belongs to the great and wonderful Harry Potter People, of whom I am not a member.  
  
Erika – The Legacy of Lily and James  
  
The morning of my return to Hogwarts was hectic, starting at 8:12 am, when I woke up.  
  
Mrs. J, Sarah, and Becky came over for breakfast. I wasn't much ompany, running around looking for various things. First it was my Charms book, then my Potions homework, my broom, and, finally...  
  
"Harry! Where's my wand?" I demanded, walkinginto the living room.  
  
Everyone looked up from the breakfast table.  
  
"Is it in your room?" Harry asked.  
  
I shook my head, "I looked."  
  
"Try the hall stand," Ron suggested.  
  
I shrugged, and ran into the hall. The little stand was covered with various pieces of opened and unopened mail, plus some keys, a hat, and a paper hot dog carrier they give you when you buy a hot dog at the park.  
  
I dug through it and found my wand buried under the mail from two days ago.  
  
"Found it!" I called.  
  
"Told you!" Ron replied.  
  
I walked back into the living room, annoyed.  
  
"Bugger off, you," I grummbled.  
  
"Do you have all your homework? Charms? Transfiguration? Potions? History of Magic?" Sarah asked.  
  
I nodded.  
  
"Broom?" Harry asked.  
  
"Yep."  
  
"Books?" Sarah asked.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Are you forgetting anything?" Ron asked.  
  
I shook my head, "I don't think so."  
  
"Good," Harry said, "We should leave in a half an hour. The Johnsons are going to come, too. Becky wants to see the platform."  
  
"Okay," I agreed, and went into my room where I closed my trunk and dragged it into the living room.  
  
A half hour later our little group took the Underground to King's Cross, which was filled with people, as usual. We led Mrs. J and Becky to the platform, and showed them how to get on.  
  
"I wonder if Meg and Anya are here yet," I said, "Meg likes to get here early, but Anya doesn't much like to get up in the morning."  
  
Harry nodded, "They're here. Anya's over there."  
  
Anya was standing next to the train, talking to Meg through one of the train windows.  
  
"I'll be right there," I called, dragging my trunk onto the train.  
  
It took me a minute to find Meg's compartment. She was leaning out of the window, talking to Anya. I pulled myself up to the other side of the window.  
  
"Made it," I announced.  
  
"How long until the train leaves?" Meg asked.  
  
We all looked up at the clock.  
  
"About ten minutes, a little less," Sarah replied.  
  
"Will you guys be coming to Hogwarts?" I asked.  
  
Harry nodded, "Yes, soon, probably. Dumbledore wants to talk to us about something."  
  
"Okay. Promise you'll come see me while you're there?" I asked.  
  
Harry shrugged, "If I can."  
  
The whistle started blowing, and Meg and I shouted out goodbyes and closed the windows.  
  
"Third year," I whispered, "We're almost halfway done."  
  
"Sort of strange, isn't it?" Meg asked.  
  
I nodded, "Strange, yeah."  
  
Throughout the day we met up with some people we were friendly with, including Avery, Jewel, and Lucy. Lucy even sat with us for a while. Avery, however, was still slightly mad at Meg. She'd given up her plea to the Govenors about having Meg removed since they'd denied it so many times.  
  
"Read about you two in the paper. Seems you two can still never keep to yourselves," she said.  
  
"Wish we could," I replied, sweetly, sarcastically.  
  
Avery shot me a look, and, along with her friends, stalked out, much to my enjoyment. The rest of the ride was mostly cheerful.  
  
When we got to Hogsmeade, which both Meg and I were finally to visit (with proper chaperoning, of course), we climbed into one of the carriages with Avery, Jewel, and Lucy. While waiting to get in, I got a good look at the thestrals, as Harry told me they were called.  
  
"Those things are creepy," I hissed to Meg as we sat down.  
  
Before Meg could say anything, Avery spoke up.  
  
"What's creepy, Erika? Your face?" Avery asked, grinning at her own joke.  
  
I faked a laugh, "No. The horses pulling the carriages."  
  
Oops. I realized too late I probably shouldn't have said anything. Avery and Lucy started. Jewel look down.  
  
"The horses? Erika, now I REALLY believe you're crazy. Nothing pulls the carriages. It's magic, stupid," Avery said, "Nothing else."  
  
"You're just saying that because you can't see them," I said.  
  
Avery nodded, "Yeah, me and everyone else in this world."  
  
"I can see them," Meg whispered.  
  
"Oh, yeah, and your vote counts for what? Nothing. You're just as crazy as she is!" Avery exclaimed.  
  
"I can see them," Jewel said, still looking down.  
  
Everyone turned to look at her, but she looked right at Meg and I.  
  
"I saw my grandpa die last summer," she explained.  
  
Before anyone could say anything else the carriage stopped. Avery jumped out and waited for us.  
  
"See?" she said, pointing at the thestral, "Nothing."  
  
"It's invisible," I snapped.  
  
Avery laughed, "Invisible? Oh, Erika, just give it up!"  
  
She stalked off. Jewel and Lucy shrugged before following her. Meg and I walked just a little behind them.  
  
The Great Hall was decorated in the normal start-of-the-year garb. Meg and I took our normal seats and waited. Avery was basking in her thought "victory". We watched as the first years came in.  
  
"They're so small," I whispered.  
  
Meg nodded.  
  
"No 'sisters' or 'brothers' this year, Megan?" Avery asked.  
  
Meg shook her head, "I'm afraid not. They're all too tightly wrapped around Voldemort's finger."  
  
Avery glared at the name, and then said, "What a shame. No more spies. Now all we have to do is get rid of you."  
  
Before anyone could start another fight (which could have very well been me, as I was getting REALLY mad), the Sorting started.  
  
"Just ignore her," I whispered to Meg while the hat sang, "You're not a spy. Everyone knows that. She just won't admit it."  
  
Meg was silent for a minute, then whispered, "Tomorrow, during break, will you come with me to Adrienne's grave?"  
  
"Sure," I whispered.  
  
Adrienne had been buried on the grounds, near the Forbidden Forrest.  
  
"Are you sure?" Meg asked.  
  
I nodded, and turned my attention to the Sorting.  
  
The next morning, our schedules were passed out during breakfast. That day Meg and I had Transfiguration, Charms, Divination, and double Potions. A promising day. Not.  
  
I was looking forward to Divination, because of what Harry had told me. I wasn't looking forward to it in the sense that I thought I'd like it, but in the sense that I wanted to see if what Harry said was true for myself.  
  
We found the classroom easy enough (we had been to it before, when Meg had to talk to Professor Trelawney). Meg and I took a table with Lucy (who was also taking the class), and waited.  
  
Professor Trelawney hadn't changed since I'd last seen her. She still looked creepy.  
  
"I heard this class is a joke," Lucy whispered.  
  
I laughed, "Harry told me that she 'greets' all her new classes by predicting someone's death. She predicting Harry's when he was here. And he's still alive... at least he was last time I checked."  
  
"Who do you think is going to die this year?" Meg asked, smiling.  
  
"One of you two, obviously," Lucy said.  
  
Professor Trelawney began class with a, "Welcome to the one class where books will not help you and here, alone, you will learn to discover what fate has in store for you."  
  
Silence.  
  
"Few of you will find this class useful. They have The Inner Eye," she continued.  
  
Lucy, Meg, and I exchanged looks. Meg had The Inner Eye, I knew. Lucy rolled her eyes and stuck out her tongue.  
  
"I am Professor Trelawney," she said, "Few of you know me, though I know you all."  
  
That made quite a few people raise their eyebrows.  
  
She looked over the class, and her eyes focused in on a Slytherin sitting in the back of the room. Professor Trelawney shook her head.  
  
"You, boy, beware the hooded one. They will lead you to treachery," she called out.  
  
Everyone turned to look at the boy, who sank back in his seat.  
  
"And you," Professor Trelawney continued, focusing on a small Ravenclaw girl who shrank back under her gaze, "Do not worry so much over the things that cloud your mind. Things you do not expect are waiting behind the clouds. And they are not good."  
  
The girl let out a little yelp.  
  
Professor Trelawney continued to gaze around the room. Occasionally her eyes would settle on someone else, who would immediately go pale. But she didn't say anything.  
  
That is, until her gaze settled on our table, more specifically on Meg and I.  
  
"Erika Potter and Megan Riddle," she whispered, "I have been watching you in my orb. Grave danger awaits you both. Beware all that might lead you to danger."  
  
"Oh, well, that's just about everything," I hissed.  
  
Lucy grinned and tried to hold back her laughs. It resulted in a rather snorty chuckle. Professor Trelawney turned her eyes to Lucy. Needless to say, her laughter died immediately under her stare. But Professor Trelawney said nothing to her.  
  
"We will begin with the reading of tea leaves, and progress onto palmistry. Later in the year, following the holidays, we will begin with fire omens, and will eventually progress to crystal balls," Professor Trelawney told us.  
  
No one said a word. She turned to Lucy.  
  
"Would you please fetch me the large silver teapot?" she asked.  
  
Lucy nodded, and stood up. When she was about halfway to the shelf where the teapot said, Professor Trelawney suddenly spoke up.  
  
"Oh, yes," she began.  
  
Lucy stopped, and turned around. But Professor Trelawney was looking at a Hufflepuff at the front table.  
  
"Do write home immediately," she said.  
  
The Hufflepuff nodded, looking very frightened.  
  
Professor Trelawney swung around, and focused her attention on Meg.  
  
"And you, Miss Riddle, do mind your words. They may lead you to ends similar to those you distrusted," she said.  
  
Meg turned pale. Professor Trelawney turned to see where Lucy was. Meg turned to look at me.  
  
"Adrienne," she whispered, "She's talking about Adrienne."  
  
"She doesn't know what she's talking about," I whispered.  
  
But Meg only nodded.  
  
"Meg, you at least should know better," I said.  
  
"Erika, I can't See everything. And if I do See something, I can't always piece things together," Meg pointed out.  
  
I grinned, "But how could you miss something like your own death?"  
  
We read tea leaves for the rest of the class. Meg, Lucy, and I made sure to speak in whispers, and Lucy and I had a great time trying to read our tea leaves. They looked like mush to me.  
  
During break, Meg and I walked down the grounds to the spot near the Forbidden Forrest where Adrienne had been buried. We were mostly silent as we approached the gravestone. I sat on a tree trunk while Meg sat next to the gravestone.  
  
"Do you think Professor Trelawney was right, about me meeting the same end as Adrienne?" Meg asked.  
  
I shook my head, "You heard what Harry said. It's her way of greeting people by telling them they're going to die."  
  
Meg was silent, looking at the gravestone.  
  
"She was my sister," Meg whispered, "And I rejected her. She just wanted to be free, like me, and I didn't trust her. I wish I hadn't. I wish I had listened to Dumbledore and everyone. I wish... I wish we could've been like you and Harry."  
  
I shrugged, "You can't take it back, Meg. Adrienne knew why you treated her the way you did, and she accepted it. She knew that we had to watch out for ourselves. But she was always nice to us, Meg, which meant she didn't care how we treated her. She still thought of you as her sister."  
  
"Some sister," Meg whispered, "I treated her as bad as Ruth treats me."  
  
"No you didn't," I protested, "You could never treat anyone like Ruth treats you. That takes real evil and hatred. You don't hate anyone like Ruth does. And you aren't evil. You couldn't even come close to Ruth."  
  
Meg stared at the grave, "I Saw her death, you know. I didn't know what it meant. She was screaming for us to run when I Saw her. I couldn't piece together her death. Maybe... if I could've... I could've stopped her from dying."  
  
"Meg, you yourself said that what you See is going to happen no matter what. Maybe it's better Adrienne didn't know. Would you be able to get through the days knowing you were going to die soon? No, Adrienne was happier not knowing. So maybe that's why you can't understand everything. Because somethings aren't meant to be understood," I said.  
  
Meg replied, "There was something else to that vision. Adrienne's voice changed to someone else's, someone I know, but I can't recognize."  
  
"You'll figure it out someday, Meg, if you're meant to," I said.  
  
"So you believe in fate and destiny and all that?" Meg asked as she stood up, wiping the leaves from her robes.  
  
I shrugged, "Sometimes, yeah. But sometimes I don't like to believe I'm not in charge of what happens to me. I don't know what I believe yet."  
  
"Erika. Erika. Erika, wake up."  
  
I opened my eyes to see Lucy standing over me. I blinked, and then yawned.  
  
"What?" I asked.  
  
Lucy glanced over her shoulder, than hissed, "Somethings wrong with Meg. She's making weird noises and we can't wake her up. She's stiff as a board."  
  
I sat up and looked over at Meg's bed. Avery and Jewel were standing across the room, staring. Someone had opened Meg's curtains. I got out of bed and went over to Meg's bed. I immediately reckognized Meg's look.  
  
"It's okay," I whispered, "She'll be fine."  
  
"How do you know? She sure doesn't sound like she'll be fine," Lucy said.  
  
I shrugged, "Just trust me. She'll be around in a minute or so."  
  
Sure enough, three minutes later Meg's eyes snapped open. She was gasping for breath.  
  
"I need to see Dumbledore," she said.  
  
I nodded, "Okay. Meg, it's the middle of the night. He might be asleep."  
  
"I need to see Dumbledore," Meg repeated, then added, "It is VERY urgent."  
  
"Okay. Come on, I'll walk you there," I said.  
  
Meg pushed the blankets away, and stood up. But her legs gave way, and she fell to the ground.  
  
"I'm going to get Madam Pomfrey," Lucy said, and rushed out of the room.  
  
"Are you okay?" I asked, kneeling beside Meg.  
  
She nodded, "Yeah. It just left me a little weak is all. It sometimes does that. Erika, I need to talk to Dumbledore."  
  
"Lucy went to get Madam Pomfrey. When she gets here we'll have her get Dumbledore. If we go out into the hallways Filch'll catch us in a second. He caught some first year yesterday, and he got two detentions. Filch won't listen, no matter how much you tell him you have to see Dumbledore," I pointed out.  
  
Meg nodded, "Okay, but I can't wait long. Morning might be too late."  
  
"Good thing it's only one in the morning," I whispered, looking at the clock in our room.  
  
Madam Pomfrey arrived, and immediately brought Meg to Dumbledore.  
  
The next day Meg wasn't in class. During break I went to the library to see if I could find anything that could help me understand the side-effects of Meg's visions.  
  
"Hey, Erika."  
  
I turned to see Lucas Clearwater (cousin to Percy Weasley's fiancée, Penelope). He was in my year, in Gryffindor.  
  
"Oh, hi, Lucas," I said, and turned back to the books.  
  
"I read about you in the newspaper over the summer," he said.  
  
I grinned, "Didn't everyone?"  
  
Lucas shrugged, "Just about, I'd think. So, is any of it actually true? We're you and Megan almost killed?"  
  
"That part's true. Most of it, at least. Other parts aren't so true," I replied.  
  
"So you guys did almost die?" Lucas asked.  
  
I shrugged, "I've almost died quite a few times, Lucas. It sort of blurs the whole expirience. Mind you, it's still quite frightening."  
  
I found a book that looked promising, and pulled it off the shelf.  
  
"What, do you find near-death expriences fun?" Lucas asked.  
  
"No," I answered, "But I have enough good humor to realize that I'd be awful depressed if I didn't find some sort of bright side."  
  
"And what was the bright side to the last near-death expirience?" Lucas asked.  
  
I grinned, "Can't tell you."  
  
"Why not?" Lucas asked, following me out to the tables.  
  
"It's a secret," I replied.  
  
Lucas laughed, "Erika Potter has secrets? Really? I thought the Daily Prophet had all the dirt on you."  
  
"They only think they do. Really, they haven't even touched the surface," I said, "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go talk to Meg."  
  
Lucas followed me.  
  
"Where was she today, anyway?" he asked.  
  
I shrugged.  
  
"Another secret?" he asked.  
  
"Nope," I replied, "I just don't know. But I have a good idea. So, if you'll please excuse me, I'm going to go find her and bring her her notes from this morning."  
  
I left Lucas in the hallway, grinning.  
  
Author's Note- That's the end of Chapter 30 (is it really 30? Shiesh!). Thanks to all who reviewed. You guys (and girls) are awesome. Sorry this chapter took so long. I've been very busy. But I just found quite a bit more time, so hopefully the chaps will come sooner. I apologize for my grammatic and spelling errors, and I am bereft (isn't that a cool word) of a betareader. So, that's all. READ AND REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
Any additional comments can be given to me at StarlightEve111@aol.com 


	32. Erika's Inheritance

Author's Note- Hey, guys. This is chapter 31! Yay! Sorry it took so long, I've been so unbelievably busy! I promise I will try to get the next chap up sooner (I actually have quite a bit of it written). So, I think that is all. Thanks for the reviews. You guys are awesome. Keep reviewing!  
  
Disclaimer- I own nothing, it all belongs to the great Harry Potter People, sadly, of which I am not a member. So don't sue me.  
  
Erika – The Legacy of Lily and James  
  
I found Meg in one of the hallways leading towards the tower. She looked tired, but stopped when I called her.  
  
"Where were you? What happened?" I asked.  
  
"I was talking with Dumbledore, then he sent me to the Hospital Wing. I just left," Meg replied.  
  
I waited, silently, for more.  
  
"I saved someone's life," Meg whispered, "Tonks. Remember her? Dumbledore talked to her rigt after he talked to me. She went into hiding. I think she's safe, for now at least."  
  
"Well, that's good," I said.  
  
Meg nodded, "Yes. Dumbledore's happy. Tonks is a good ally because she can change her appearance."  
  
"So you're happy now?" I asked.  
  
Meg nodded, "Yeah."  
  
"Good," I said.  
  
* * *  
  
A few days later  
  
A dark castle  
  
Glass shattered against the stone wall. The people in the room - two of the grandchildren of Voldemort and three Death Eaters - flinched. A third grandchild of Lord Voldemort, the Dark Lady, Ruth, let out an enraged scream. She picked up another glass goblet and threw it against the castle wall.  
  
"I hate my sister!" she shouted, "Megan must die!"  
  
"Ruth," one of her brothers said.  
  
"What?" Ruth screamed.  
  
"Megan is at Hogwarts," the brother reminded her.  
  
Ruth nodded, and started to say something. Then she grinned as the realization hit her.  
  
"Wormtail," she shouted, "Bring in my Hogwarts connection. I have something I want them to do."  
  
* * *  
  
A few days later  
  
As told by Erika Rose Potter  
  
Meg and I walked into the Great Hall for breakfast just as the mail arrived. Hedwig swooped down at me. I untied the letter and she flew away.  
  
"Letter from Harry," I said as we sat down.  
  
I quickly read and summarized it for Meg.  
  
"Mrs. J and Becky left. Mrs. J's coming back often to help with the wdding plans. Hope I'm doing well, don't slack off, don't get into trouble, blah, blah, blah. I think that's Sarah talking. Honestly, Harry got in more troulbe thatn I ever did," I said.  
  
I folded the letter and took out my wand. Meg did the same.  
  
"First one done wins," I told her.  
  
Meg nodded.  
  
We cast our spells and began to rapidly search our food and drink. While we did so Avery, Jewel, and Lucy slipped into their seats across from us.  
  
"Who's winning?" Lucy asked.  
  
I looked up, "Me. I'm done. Come on, Meg, you nearly always beat me lately."  
  
But Meg was staring intently at her food. I looked over. Part of the meal glowed with the tell-tale sign.  
  
"What is it?" Lucy asked.  
  
"Poison," I whispered.  
  
The word acted as a catalyst. Avery, Jewel, and Lucy jumped up from the table, shaking it. The plates and goblets clattered to the floor, including Meg's plate. We all jumped away from the food.  
  
Our screams had drawn eyes. Everyone was watching. Anya, McGonagall, Dumbledore, and several other professors came rushing over.  
  
"What is it?" Anya asked.  
  
"Poison," Meg hissed.  
  
"Severus, Anya, poison is your area," Dumbledore said, "What is it?"  
  
Snape knelt beside Meg's dish. Anya sat beside him. Snape put his finger in the food, drew it out, and sniffed it.  
  
He made a noise, and then looked up at Dumbledore, "Coroner's Potion. The entire meal's drenched with it. Enough to kill four people, at least."  
  
"Nobody touch your food!" McGonagall shouted, turning to face the rest of the Hall.  
  
Forks dropped, making a clatter.  
  
"Miss Riddle, you didn't eat any, did you?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
Meg shook her head, "No."  
  
"What's the Coroner's Potion, Anya?" I asked, turning to face her.  
  
"It's a poison. 'Coroner's Potion' is it's nickname, because it kills so many. It's real name's 'Carterlyn Potion', after the inventor. It's very powerful, just below the level of the Slauter Potion, which Erika is quite fimiliar with. But it's very difficult. I don't think anyone here could make it," Anya explained.  
  
The professors searched the rest of food, but Meg's was the only tainted dish. They talked to the house elves in the kitchens. They were quite disturbed but had no idea how it happened.  
  
After classes Meg and I went up to Anya's office. She made some tea while Meg and I looked at some photos.  
  
"Have you found anything yet?" Meg asked.  
  
Anya shook her head, "No. Dumbledore's making a speech tonight, though. What are you looking at, Erika?"  
  
I looked up and replied, "Some pictures. Is this your sister?"  
  
Anya looked over, "Yes, that's Anra. She's still in hiding."  
  
I flipped to the next picture, and the next.  
  
"I heard Harry and Sarah are coming to talk to Dumbledore sometime soon," Anya said.  
  
I nodded, "That's what their letters said."  
  
"Do they write often?" Anya asked.  
  
"Yeah. Sarah keeps me filled in on the wedding happenings, and Harry on everything else," I siad.  
  
Meg pointed to the clock, "Come on, we should go or we'll miss the start of dinner."  
  
"Meg, why don't you meet us down there. I want to talk to Erika, alone," Anya said.  
  
Meg nodded, "Just don't talk too long."  
  
"We won't," Anya promised.  
  
Meg left. I sat, silent, waiting. Anya stood up nad went to a box.  
  
"I want to give you something. A bit of a, well, early birthday present," Anya said.  
  
She took something out of the box and sat back down.  
  
"Here," she said.  
  
It was a locket, with a silver heart.  
  
"It's beautiful," I told her.  
  
Anya smiled, "It was your mum's. Your dad gave it to her. I found it...in the...rubble. But I want you to have it. It's rightfully yours. Afterall, at least I have memories of Lily, James, and the others."  
  
I clasped the necklace around my neck and smiled.  
  
"Thank you, Anya," I whispered.  
  
Anya smiled, then told me, "You look just like your mum, you know. Everything but that hair of your's, that's your dad's. But your face, your eyes, all your mum's. They'd be very proud of you."  
  
"Do you think so?"  
  
Anya nodded, "Yes. Now, come on, let's not keep Meg waiting."  
  
Meg was waiting at our table when we got to the Great Hall.  
  
"The necklace," she said when I sat down, "Did she give it to you?"  
  
I nodded, then asked, "How did you know?"  
  
"I've seen it. Anya used to have it," Meg told me.  
  
I smiled, then told Meg, "It was my mum's."  
  
Meg smiled, and nodded.  
  
Dumbledore stood up from his seat and everything fell silent, waiting for what Dumbledore had to say.  
  
He cleared his throat, and began, "Hogwarts has expirienced many threats over the years. But, never, in my years as Headmaster here have we faced something such as the thing we face now.  
  
"Two attempts two take the lives of two of our students using poison have been made. Which brings me to the gravest news I have. The thing I fear has come to pass.  
  
"There is a traitor at Hogwarts."  
  
Despite the fact that I was sure everyone else had thought such a thing everyone made quite a fuss, gasping and such. Everyone started glancing around the Hall, trying to pick out whoever was the traitor. Dumbledore rasied his hand for silence.  
  
"I ask that anyone who has anything, any information on this subject to come forward. Put aside your fear or someone could die as a result."  
  
Yes, I thought, come forward now. Come forward against Voldemort. Choose our side. Because we need all the help we can get. With more and more of us dying or going into hiding each day, our numbers are dwindling. Don't be afraid. We need your help.  
  
Dumbledore nodded at the Hall, and sat down. Immediately the talking began, quiet at first, and growing.  
  
"A traitor at Hogwarts?" Jewel asked, shocked.  
  
"Wonder who it is," Avery whispered, with, I noted, heavy sarcasm.  
  
"That must be who poisoned your food, Mega, and your's, Erika. I wonder if they're passing information on us, too," Lucy said, then bit her lip, frightened and pale.  
  
Avery rolled her eyes, "Of course they are, Lucy. Honestly. What else would they be doing here if not passing information to their precious master and doing whatever he wants."  
  
"Oh, careful, Avery," Jewel whispered, "They might be listening!"  
  
"I don't care," Avery said.  
  
Meg, who had been staring at her plate throughout the entire discussion, looked up, looking Avery straight in the eye.  
  
"Lord Voldemort does worse things to his enemies than simply killing them. He tortures them, steals their minds and souls, pushes them to the very edges of sanity before pushing them into the dark cold of insanity. Only then does he deliver them to their cold yet welcome death. If there is, indeed, a traitor at Hogwarts, which I have no doubt there is, I'd be very careful."  
  
"You should know," Avery hissed.  
  
Lucy gasped, and exclaimed, "Avery! Megan's not the traitor! Why would she poison her own food?"  
  
"To cover for herself," Avery whispered.  
  
Meg stared at her for a moment. We all remained silent, waiting anxiously for the next move to be played.  
  
Meg played it. Sh stood up and walked away, right out of the Great Hall. I jumped up and followed her.  
  
As I was leaving I heard Lucy say, "Now look what you've done, Avery!"  
  
I managed to catch up with Meg, after calling her name several times. She was walking rather fast, so I had to run to catch up.  
  
"I'm sick of Avery calling me a traitor. I'm sick of her thinking she's so brave and isn't scared. She's never faced it, Erika!" Meg told me.  
  
I nodded, and said, "Maybe she's only saying that to keep herself from being so scared. If she can register the enemy in you, she doesn't feel so scared because she knows you. She wants you to be the enemy because she knows you wouldn't hurt her. She'd feel safer."  
  
"But I'm not the enemy, and the real enemy is horrible, knows no mercy, comapassion," Meg said.  
  
"Everyone's afraid, Meg, some people just have different ways of showing it," I whispered.  
  
Meg nodded, "Yeah, I guess."  
  
Three days before my birthday Jewel came running into our dorm. I was laying on my bed, alternating between a Potions essay and writing a letter to Harry and Sarah. I watched as Jewel flung herself on her bed and started crying.  
  
"Jewel?" I asked, "Are you okay?"  
  
We were the only ones in the room, so I felt compelled to try and comfort her.  
  
"I got a letter from my parents. They're taking me out of Hogwarts! They want to move me to Beauxbatons! They think it's too dangerous here!" Jewel cried.  
  
I sat up, shocked. Certainly, plenty of students had been moved from Hogwarts, but never anyone I knew particularly well, like a dorm-mate.  
  
"Erika, I don't want to die, but I don't want to leave. I love it here!" Jewel protested.  
  
I sighed, and suggested, "Tell your parents."  
  
"They won't listen. They're set on it. They won't even let me stay for the rest of the year," Jewel told me, "They're coming to get me on November 1st."  
  
"Maybe you'll be able to come back soon. Maybe it won't last very long," I said, trying to offer some comfort.  
  
Jewel sat up, and said, "Erika, we both know it's only getting worse, not better."  
  
"It could all end any time," I whispered.  
  
"It didn't end last time. It could keep going on and on," Jewel reminded me.  
  
I wanted to tell her that it would end. That Harry was alive to see to its end. But I couldn't.  
  
"Jewel, you have to believe it will end. There is always light at the end of the darkness," I said.  
  
Jewel looked at me with her tear-streaked eyes, and asked in a whisper, "Yes, but will I be alive to see the light?"  
  
"That's why your parents are sending you to Beauxbatons, so you will be alive to see the light at the end," I told her.  
  
Jewel was silent for a while, then whispered, "You know, the other night Avery said that you and Megan don't want this to end. But she's wrong. I think you want this a lot. Maybe more than we do."  
  
"I'm scared of the end, Jewel," I confessed quietly.  
  
What I left unsaid was that, in the end, I might lose Harry. I might lose the only family I have.  
  
"We all are, Erika. But think about the light. Think about all the good that will follow," Jewel said, then smiled, "When I come back from Beauxbatons, I'll make sure you're one of the first people I see."  
  
"I'll look forward to seeing you again, then," I told her.  
  
I had Quidditch practice on my birthday. It was a hard practice, and I returned to the tower exhausted. Everyone had been really nice to me that morning (well, Avery was civil). Lucy, who couldn't keep secrets really well, had let it slip at breakfast that they had something special planned for me that evening. So I was a little excited despite my exhaustion when I climbed into the tower.  
  
Meg, Jewel, and a grumpy and unwilling Avery were waiting in our dorm room.  
  
"Get dressed, quickly. Jewel and I went down to the kitchens and got you a cake, but if you don't get dressed quick we're going to eat it without you," Lucy said, grinning.  
  
"How'd you know where the kitchens are?" I asked.  
  
Meg grinned, then replied, "I owled Harry and Ron. They were only too happy to tell me."  
  
"Go on, Erika, get dressed," Jewel said.  
  
I did as told, and changed out of my Quidditch robes into my normal robes. When I came back the others had taken out the cake. It was chocolate with "Happy Birthday" written in white frosting.  
  
"While you were at practice Hedwig brought these," Meg said.  
  
While we ate I opened my gifts. Harry and Sarah had sent me a wand cleaning kit, a jumbo pack of Chocolate Frogs (which I eagerly shared with the others), and a long letter. Mrs. J and Becky had sent me a card with some money. I also received cards from the Weasleys, Anya, Jewel, Lucy, and Avery. Meg gave me a card and a promise to buy me anything at Hogsmeade, so long as it didn't cost to much.  
  
"Oh, I can't wait until Hogsmeade. Only two days away," Lucy said, "I heard they have so much. I can't wait to visit all the shops."  
  
"Me either," I agreed.  
  
"My parents are actually letting me go to Hogsmeade," Jewel told us, "They only gave in once I begged them."  
  
"It's safe. They have like half of the Hogwarts professors acting as chaperones, and I doubt any of them will give us a moment's peace," I said.  
  
Everyone nodded, it was pretty much true. But even if we had professors following us around we were going to Hogsmeade.  
  
The day of our Hogsmeade trip was a sunny day, a few clouds in the sky (but none looked threatening), and slightly chilly. After breakfast we all grabbed our cloaks and set off.  
  
Filch was checking of names at the gate, and growled as we walked past. We ran in and out of shops, our arms full or purchases. Meg bought me my birthday present, a book of Quidditch strategies that I was sure Harry would use as well (if not steal from me).  
  
Finally we all made it back to the Three Broomsticks, and the five of us sat down to some Butterbeers.  
  
"Good day," I said, "Very good day, don't you think?"  
  
Everyone nodded, and sipped their butterbeers.  
  
It had been quite relaxing, and, after all that had happened and was going to happen, we need some time to relax, even if it was only for a fleeting moment.  
  
Author's Note- Kay, now that you've read, a few additional notes. Special thanks to Oliverwoodschic, who I accidentally sent this chapter to instead of my beta-reader, so thanks for them being so nice and understanding and editing it anyways. Thanks and sorry to my beta-reader. Galagirl, I think I have your email wrong, so could you email me? Thanks!! And I think that is all. REVIEW!!!! 


	33. News of Passings

Author's Notes- Hey, all! It is me again. Sorry this took so long. I had it typed but I was waiting for my beta-reader to email me... and it just got lost in the process. So, Galagirl, could you please email me so I can get your email right??? Thanks. Anyways, this is chapter 32 of my already LONG story. But it will be longer (yay!). So, without further delay...  
  
Disclaimer (Yes, I know, it is a "further delay")- I own nothing. It all belongs to the Great Harry Potter people! I am not one of the aforementioned group. tear  
  
Erika – The Legacy of Lily and James  
  
I woke up on Halloween morning to see Jewel standing over her trunk, folding a shirt.  
  
"Good morning," she said, and reached for a pair of pants on her bed.  
  
"Morning," I replied, "Where is everyone?"  
  
Jewel sighed, and told me, "Avery and Lucy already went to breakfast and Megan's in the bathroom. I wanted to get as much packing done as possible before breakfast."  
  
"Today should be fun. It's Halloween," I said.  
  
Jewel nodded, "Yeah."  
  
Meg came into the room, and said the usual "good morning" before finishing getting ready. I got up and did the same. By the time Meg and I were done Jewel had packed most of her stuff and was ready for breakfast. The three of us walked down to the Great Hall, where Avery and Lucy were already eating. The poison training Anya had been submitting her students to was working well: no one had found any poison in their food or drink since Meg's attempted poisoning.  
  
"Happy Halloween," Lucy greeted us warmly.  
  
We all returned the greeting and sat down. I glanced up to the ceiling, which was partly cloudy with a chilly sort of blue.  
  
"Mail come yet?" I asked.  
  
Lucy shook her head, and replied, "Any minute now. You think Sarah might've sent some cookies for Halloween?"  
  
"Maybe. She's probably really busy with the wedding plans," I reminded them.  
  
Never the less, when the mail came, we all looked up eagerly. Hedwig did deliver a package and a letter for me. I took the letter and gave Lucy permission to open the package.  
  
"Erika," the letter read, "First of all, happy Halloween. Sarah and I have been very busy, with the wedding plans and other things you will soon know. Sarah did find time to make you a treat. I hope you and your friends enjoy them. We'll be visiting Hogwarts soon, to discuss our plans with Dumbledore. I want to talk to you then. We hope you're doing well, and try to stay out of trouble. Harry and Sarah."  
  
"Cookies!" Lucy exclaimed, finally managing to open the package.  
  
I folded the letter and set it down. Meg turned to look at me quickly, and stopped.  
  
"What's wrong? Did you get bad news?" she asked.  
  
"Something's happened. I dunno what, Harry couldn't say. But something's happened," I replied.  
  
"Something like... this?" Jewel asked, lifting up Meg's copy of the Daily Prophet (which she has delivered) out of some scrammbled eggs where it had dropped.  
  
The headline read "Dark Mark Raised in London". Below it was a picture of the Dark Mark, floating eerily and slowly rotating against a night sky.  
  
"What else does it say?" I asked, starting to feel sick.  
  
Jewel looked at it, and said, "Someone was killed in London. A man named Deladus Diggle."  
  
I knew that name. So did Meg. But I didn't know where I knew the name from, and I knew I should. It bothered me.  
  
"He was a member of the Order," Meg whispered.  
  
"He knows then," I concluded.  
  
"Who knows what?" Jewel asked, turning back to us.  
  
Caught.  
  
"Harry," I said, quickly, "He, er, knows that Sarah and I were going to get chocolate cake for the wedding even though he wants vanilla."  
  
Jewel looked at me strangely, but shrugged.  
  
When Meg and I left the Great Hall Meg burst out laughing.  
  
"What?" I asked.  
  
"Good excuse, cake flavors," Meg told me, laughing.  
  
I started laughing, too, because she was right. It was a really bad excuse.  
  
"Hey," I defended myself, "At least she believed it."  
  
We saw Anya later that day, in a hallway on our way to the feast. She smiled when she saw us.  
  
"You're a little late," she said.  
  
Meg nodded, "We were helping a friend pack."  
  
Anya nodded as if she understood, then said, "Yes, Jewel Morgan. It's a shame she's leaving, but I don't blame her parents. England isn't a safe place to live right now, even Hogwarts is losing it's previous glow. She's not the only one leaving, either. Three others are leaving as well, and four more at the end of the year."  
  
"That many?" I asked.  
  
Anya nodded, "Dumbledore's worried. I don't blame him, and I don't blame them. They're just scared."  
  
I sighed.  
  
"What do you know about the killing in London?" Meg asked, trying to change the subject.  
  
Anya shook her head, "Not much. Deladus wasn't on duty. He was off duty if I understood correctly."  
  
"So he knows, then?" I asked, "Who's in the Order?"  
  
Anya nodded, "It appears so. The Order'll have to be very careful, but the headquarters should be safe. Dumbledore's Secret Keeper, he'll watch it."  
  
"They won't stop, then?" I asked.  
  
"Erika! Of course they won't! I thought Harry would've assured you of that by now. We'll just have to be more careful," Anya said, then smiled, "I know for a fact that some of us would give our lives for this cause. We'll die if we have to. This whole thing has taken precedence over our own lives."  
  
She stopped talking and looked at the ground. I knew she was one of those people, who were willing to give their lives to save the world. It sounded like something out of a storybook about heros who killed the monsters. But it's all real, I thought, looking at Anya, it's so real.  
  
"I would," Meg announced, quietly, "Anything for this to stop."  
  
I nodded, "Me, too."  
  
Anya smiled, sadly, "I hope you won't have to. You're so young. But you're very brave, both of you. And not just for saying that, but for everything else, too."  
  
"You're brave, too, Anya," I told her.  
  
"Where were you coming from when we found you, anyway? You looked very pensive," Meg asked.  
  
"Coming back from Dumbledore's office. He had a message for me from Hestia. She's a distant relative on my dad's side. She's also in the Order. Between her and Remus and the others I'm always filled in. It was just more about Deladus. They think there was a struggle, which means Voldemort wanted some information first. Hopefully, he didn't get any."  
  
"What do you think he wanted information about?" I asked.  
  
"There's so much he wants to know that it's hard to tell," Anya said, "That's what Meg helps us with."  
  
Meg nodded, then asked, "Deladus was researching something, right?"  
  
"Yes. You told us that Voldemort was interested in eternal life and had Death Eaters researching it for him. So we did the same. Deladus was researching methods of it and how to stop or reverse it," Anya explained.  
  
"That was probably why then," I said.  
  
Anya nodded, and agreed, "Dumbledore thinks so, too."  
  
That evening the five of us sat together in the Great Hall for the last time, admiring the deocorations. As always, the Great Hall was decorated with floating pumpkins, bats, and all the Halloween neccessities. Amongst the usual food was sweets of all sorts. We were all trying to be cheerful for Jewel's sake, but the fact that this was her last night at Hogwarts was sitting heavily upon her. She looked gloomy the whole time. We did manage to make her laugh occasionally, but the feast wasn't the same.  
  
After the feast we all went back to our room. Jewel's trunk sat open and full on the floor in front of her bed.  
  
"Only a few more hours, then," Jewel said, frowning at her trunk.  
  
"It won't be bad at Beauxbatons, Jewel," Meg assured her, "I've heard it's very nice."  
  
Jewel laughed, then replied, "My French is horrible. They'll probably chuck me out, and I won't even understand it!"  
  
We all smiled.  
  
"You'll make friends real quick," I added.  
  
I wasn't sure if we were really helping or not, but Jewel did look a little more at ease, which was good.  
  
The next morning Jewel was up earlier than the rest of us. She was already dressed and ready, her trunk packed and closed.  
  
"My parents are going to meet me in Dumbledore's office in an hour," she told us.  
  
"We'll come too," Lucy said, "We'll skip breakfast and run to class. It'll be fine."  
  
We all nodded and agreed. It was a rush to get ready that morning, but we made it. Lucy and I carried the trunk and the five of us made our way to Dumbledore's office to say goodbye. Professor McGonagall was waiting for us outside his office.  
  
"I though you all might come. Hurry up, everyone's waiting. All the papers are signed, they're just waiting for you," she said.  
  
Jewel's parents were sitting in chairs in front of Dumbledore's desk, which he was sitting at, calm and serene. He looked amused when he saw that we all had come.  
  
"Oh, good, I was afraid you would be late," he said.  
  
All the adults stood up. Mr. and Mrs. Morgan looked very ready to go.  
  
"Come on, Jewel. We're leaving. The movers are coming in an hour and we're leaving for Paris right afterwards," Mr. Morgan said.  
  
Jewel nodded, "Just give me a minute to say goodbye."  
  
"Of course," Mrs. Morgan said, smiling a smile so fake it was disgusting.  
  
Her eyes lingered on Meg and I, and made a look like she was trying to appear friendly. She didn't trust us. Instead of looking away, I made a point of returning her gaze.  
  
Jewel went aroundt he room and hugged the four of us.  
  
"I'll write as much as possible," she promised, "Be careful, okay?"  
  
We all agreed.  
  
"You be careful as well," I told her.  
  
She smiled, and nodded, "Okay."  
  
Jewel said goodbye to Professor McGonagall and Dumbledore. Mr. Morgan grabbed her trunk. With one last wave Jewel disappeared into the fire. I hoped she would be back, but I didn't know.  
  
Soon after Jewel left Professor Trelawney gave her third year class a ridiculously long and evil (at least in our opinion) project. As a result you could often find her 3rd years crowded in the Library during breaks.  
  
One day Lucy came into the Library where Meg and I were already working.  
  
"We just got a letter from Jewel," Lucy announced and sat down.  
  
Meg and I read it together, each of us holding a different side. It was relatively short.  
  
"Salut! It's me! I've been at Beauxbatons for a week, and it's not too bad. I miss Hogwarts and I miss you guys. They call me 'Julie' here because Jewel is such an English name. I've made a few friends, no one like you guys. Their names are Marie-Anne and Herve. They help me with my French. I must go to class. Au revoir! Jewel."  
  
"She sounds happy," I said, giving the letter back to Lucy.  
  
Lucy nodded, "Yeah. But that's good. I'm glad she's happy. Even if she's in France."  
  
We all nodded.  
  
"Well, I've gotta go and find Avery. She'll want to see the letter, too. I'll see you later," Lucy said, standing up.  
  
Once she left Meg and I returned to our books. A few minutes later someone else sat down at our table. It was Lucas.  
  
"Hi, Erika, Megan. I, er, wanted to talk to you about the Order..." he started to say.  
  
Only he never got past the "or" in order. I snapped my book shut, so you couldn't hear the rest. Lucas looked surprised, and Meg stared at him with wide eyes.  
  
"Not here," I hissed, looking at the table of Slytherins sitting not too far away.  
  
I stood up and put my books in my bag. Meg and Lucas did the same. The three of us left in silence. Once out of the library and I was sure we wouldn't be overheard, I swung around to face him.  
  
"What are you, daft? What did you want to ask me?" I asked.  
  
Lucas grinned, and replied, "Well, my parents just joined the Order of the Phoenix, you see, and I know you guys are really glose to the Order, so I wanted to ask some questions. I know that man that was killed on Halloween was in the Order. And I was wondering if that happens a lot."  
  
"Just because it storms a lot doesn't mean it's a common thing," Meg told him.  
  
I grinned, and added, "What she means is, yeah, people do die somethings, but it's getting better. And just because you could die shouldn't stop you. You can die from just walking out your door. So is it really more dangerous?"  
  
"I guess not. I'm just worried is all," Lucas explained.  
  
"We all are," I told him, "But be more careful, lots of mini-Death Eaters in training are in Hogwarts, and they'd oh so love to tell their daddies and master anything about the Order."  
  
Lucas nodded, "Got it. Keep quiet about the Order."  
  
"Good. Well, then, welcome to the club of the Young Members of the Order of the Phoenix," I said.  
  
Meg and Lucas laughed.  
  
"Did you just make that up?" Lucas asked.  
  
I nodded, and answered, "Yep."  
  
Author's Note- Well, that is all. The third movie comes out soon! Everyone clap! Yay! We meet Sirius! Well, anways, hope you enjoyed the 32nd chappie, next one should be along soon now that I'm in the Harry Potter mood again (thanks to one of my friends for a discussion about Harry Potter at gym class today and getting me in the HP mood). Stay tuned!  
  
Any additional comments can be given to me at StarlightEve111aol.com. Feel free to email me. I love emails! 


	34. Dark Times

Author's Notes- Hi all! Next chapter! Yay! Bad news in this chap, but I tried to make it up by putting in a little bit of quidditch for you guys! Yay! Anyways, I hope you enjoy this. I think that is just about it. Sry about the spacing, it couldn't be helped! Read and Review!  
  
Disclaimer- I own nothing. It all belongs to the great Harry Potter people. I'm not getting paid.  
  
Harry and Sarah came to Hogwarts a few days later. I was at Quidditch  
  
practice when they arrived. Meg was waiting outside the Pitch for me and we  
  
walked up to the school together.  
  
"Harry and Sarah are here. I saw them get here. They're with Dumbledore  
  
right now," she told me.  
  
"Excellent. Let's go back to the tower so I can drop off my broom, then we  
  
can go see them. They should still be here," I said.  
  
Meg and I hurried up to the tower. Avery and Lucy were in the dormitory,  
  
working on homework by the look of it, when we arrived.  
  
"Has that first year stopped setting off Stink Pellets yet?" Avery asked the  
  
moment we walked in, "It absolutely reeked down there."  
  
I shrugged, "I guess. I didn't notice any smell."  
  
"Avery, we don't know it was a first year. For all we know it could've been  
  
anyone," Lucy said, then rolled her eyes, "Erika, Harry's here. Well at  
  
least he was about an hour ago."  
  
"I know, I just wanted to drop off my broom," I replied, putting my broom  
  
into its place.  
  
"Why are they here, anyway?" Avery asked, "They're here a lot, it seems.  
  
More than a lot of people."  
  
I lied, "I dunno. Harry's very vague in his letters. It's probably something  
  
about the wedding, his invitation or something. Harry thinks very highly of  
  
Dumbledore. He was at our parents' wedding."  
  
I did know why Harry was here, Dumbledore wanted to talk to him about  
  
our "protection" in the future, now that he and Sarah were getting married.  
  
Avery and Lucy accepted what I'd told them and Meg and I set off for  
  
Dumbledore's office. I was still in my Quidditch robes.  
  
"We'll wait for them outside," I said, "They have to leave sometime."  
  
We were about halfway to Dumbledore's office when we saw Professor  
  
McGonagall in the hallway, carrying a stack of books. She stopped when she  
  
saw us.  
  
"Miss Riddle, Miss Potter," she greeted.  
  
We smiled, "Hello, Professor McGonagall. Need help?"  
  
"Oh, no, I'm quite fine. Miss Potter, your brother is here. He's speaking to  
  
Professor Dumbledore," she told me.  
  
I grinned, and replied, "So I'm told."  
  
"He told me that if I was to see you I was to tell you to wait for him by  
  
the entrance to Professor Dumbledore's office. I expect you know your way  
  
there?" Professor McGonagall asked.  
  
I nodded, and answered, "Thanks."  
  
Meg and I had already been heading there, so Professor McGonagall's message  
  
meant little. When we reached the statue Meg and I leaned against opposite  
  
walls to wait.  
  
"When's your first match?" Meg asked.  
  
"Saturday, against Hufflepuff, They lost most of their good players last  
  
year, and another one isn't allowed to play because of horrible grades. Or,  
  
at least, that's the most believable rumor. Anyways, he can't play. They  
  
won't be hard to beat," I replied.  
  
Meg cast a look down the hallway, and then said, "While you were at practice  
  
I was looking at the latest copy of the Daily Prophet. It seems Draco Malfoy  
  
has been named some position close to Fudge."  
  
"Not surprising," I told her, "I've heard Malfoy the elder has been trying  
  
to get his son buddy-buddy with Fudge lately, trying to get Malfoy the  
  
Younger to be Minister of Magic after Fudge. Having a Death Eater as  
  
Minister of Magic won't be much good for us, but it would do wonders for  
  
their side."  
  
Meg nodded, "Yeah. Lucius Malfoy is a known Death Eater, though, so why  
  
would anyone trust him, especially Fudge?"  
  
"Lucius Malfoy is also quite wealthy, and has been giving Fudge just about  
  
all the money he needs," I reminded her.  
  
"Sounds just like him. Lucius Malfoy is quite an evil creature," Meg told  
  
me, "Hates me with quite a passion."  
  
I laughed, and said, "I can't imagine why."  
  
"Oh, you'd be surprised how much the Death Eaters hated me before I left.  
  
First they hated me for being Voldemort's granddaughter, and now they hate  
  
me for running away and separating myself from him, which is the exact  
  
opposite. Quite strange, isn't it?" Meg asked in jest.  
  
"I thought they'd be more afraid of you than hostile to you," I said.  
  
Meg shrugged, and said, "Nope, they hated all of us, Still do. Voldemort  
  
used to let us, and probably still let's them, use the Death Eaters he's not  
  
fond of at the moment as target practice."  
  
"Target practice?" I asked, curious.  
  
"I've used the Crutacius curse on Malfoy and Avery," Meg answered, simply.  
  
I raised my eyebrows and nodded, "Okay."  
  
"I was eight, Erika. They said I was talented, sure, but I never really had  
  
enough hate to cause much damage. For a while all I could do was inflict  
  
nosebleeds or knock out a tooth," Meg assured me, grinning and half- laughing.  
  
I grinned, too.  
  
"Well, that's better than," I said.  
  
Meg sighed, still grinning, "Malfoy has a serious dislike for me. I knocked  
  
out his front tooth. The one he has now is fake."  
  
"And Avery?" I asked.  
  
"Haven't seen him much," Meg told me, "But if he remembers my face half as  
  
well as Malfoy, I think it's safe to say he hates me enough to kill me  
  
without thinking twice about it."  
  
"Meg, they all would. They'd kill me just to say they'd done it," I said.  
  
The stone gargoyle suddenly moved and the wall broke open. Meg and I  
  
straightened ourselves and moved around to the front.  
  
Harry and Sarah came down the moving stairs, smiling and waving.  
  
"Done yet? You took long enough!" I shouted, grinning.  
  
Harry, looking slightly solemn, lit up and laughed. Sarah and Harry hugged  
  
me and the four of us started down the hallway.  
  
"How about a walk around the grounds?" Harry asked, "We don't have to leave  
  
for a while."  
  
I nodded, "Okay. Meg, are you coming?"  
  
"I can't. I haven't done that Potions essay yet, I need Lucy's notes," Meg  
  
said, "I'll see you later, Harry, Sarah."  
  
We waved goodbye and Meg headed off in the direction of the tower. Harry,  
  
Sarah, and I went down to the lake.  
  
"How are the wedding plans?" I asked.  
  
"The date's set and we're finishing everything up. You're coming home for  
  
Christmas, right? Mom wants to look at a dress for you, and I want to show  
  
you my dress," Sarah said.  
  
I nodded, "I wouldn't miss it."  
  
"Good. Mom is coming in December. Becky got a few days off so that she can  
  
help me with the plans. She's coming in two days," Sarah added.  
  
"Okay. So, what did Dumbledore want to talk to you two about, anyway?" I  
  
asked.  
  
"Just several warnings," Harry said, sounding almost annoyed, "He wanted to  
  
know our future plans so he can decide a way to best protect us."  
  
"Well, that's good, right?" I asked.  
  
Sarah nodded, as did Harry. He was silent for a bit, then asked, "Erika, do  
  
you remember that land Mum left us?"  
  
"Yeah," I answered, wondering what was coming.  
  
"Sarah and I were talking about building a house there. What do you think?"  
  
Harry asked.  
  
I grinned, "I think it's a great idea! When can you start building?"  
  
"Calm down," Sarah said, "It's not the right time now. But I'm glad you like  
  
the idea. I did too."  
  
"It won't be anything big," Harry told me, "But it'll fit us all. Three  
  
bedrooms should do it."  
  
I raised an amused eyebrow, and repeated, "Three bedrooms? As I count, we'll  
  
only need two if you share a room. What's the third for?"  
  
I grinned at my brother and Sarah. Sarah snorted, then hit my arm.  
  
"What do you think it's for, Erika?" she asked.  
  
I shrugged, trying to make them say it.  
  
"Is it a crime for two people who are about to be married to start thinking  
  
about having children?" Sarah asked.  
  
I laughed, and then said, "So you both want kids?"  
  
Sarah and Harry nodded.  
  
"I'm going to be an aunt!" I announced, then, seeing the looks on their  
  
faces, "Not yet. Not for a while, right?"  
  
Sarah nodded, "Yes, at least until after we're married."  
  
"Well, Erika, we have to go now. I have a big test tomorrow to study for and  
  
Sarah has Order duty," Harry said.  
  
"Okay, well, write me often and tell me everything that's happening," I  
  
replied.  
  
Harry and Sarah agreed. They headed off to Dumbledore's office to Floo back  
  
home and I went back up to the tower.  
  
"How did it go?" Meg asked when I walked into the common room.  
  
I told her about the conversation we'd had. Meg and I were both grinning by  
  
the end.  
  
"Good visit, then?" Meg asked.  
  
I nodded, "Very good."  
  
On Saturday we had our first match, against Hufflepuff. Despite the fact  
  
that we knew Hufflepuff was not a strong team, we were very nervous. Captain  
  
O' Captain gave us a nice long speech about how well we could play this  
  
game.  
  
It was a cloudy day, perfect for Quidditch. There was a slight wind, but  
  
there was no sun to get in our eyes.  
  
After our usual pre-match talk Captain O' Captain led us out onto the pitch.  
  
The Hufflepuffs were also walking out onto the pitch. I took a deep breath  
  
and mounted my broomstick.  
  
The match began. A Hufflepuff got the Quaffle first, and shot towards the  
  
hoops. My teammates, Kevin and Zoe, and I flew after them. Out of nowhere  
  
one of our Beaters smashed a Bludger in the Chaser's direction. They dodged  
  
it wildly and barely managed to keep themselves on their broomstick. They  
  
did, however, drop the Quaffle. Kevin swooped underneath and caught it  
  
before the other Hufflepuffs could reach it.  
  
Zoe and I flew after Kevin. Up ahead I saw a Hufflepuff Beater winding up  
  
his bat.  
  
"Kevin!" I shouted.  
  
Kevin saw, and ducked the Bludger, still flying towards the hoops. He  
  
feinted left, and the Keeper believed him. He sent the Quaffle flying  
  
through the right hoop.  
  
"TEN POINTS TO GRYFFINDOR AFTER A TERRIFIC SHOT BY A GRYFFINDOR CHASER!" the  
  
announcer shouted.  
  
The Gryffindors cheered. The Keeper tossed the Quaffle back.  
  
Out of the corner of my eye I saw Carly go into a dive, and hoped she had  
  
seen the Snitch. Meanwhile Zoe had regained the Quaffle, but the Hufflepuff  
  
beaters were pressuring her.  
  
She passed it to me, and I sped off before the Beaters could take aim. I  
  
weaved in and out of the other players. One of the Hufflepuff chasers came  
  
rushing at me, attempting to steal the Quaffle. Just before they could reach  
  
me, I dropped about ten feet so they missed me completely, and without  
  
breaking my pace headed towards the hoops. The keeper was just ahead of me,  
  
watching me closely. I feinted throwing right and then, at the last second,  
  
through into the center hoop.  
  
Cheering erupted in the pitch. The cheering lasted longer than usual.  
  
"A LAST SECOND GOAL BY GRYFFINDOR CHASER ERIKA POTTER EARNS GRYFFINDOR TEN  
  
POINTS WHILE TEAMMATE AND SEEKER CARLY HARVESTER CATCHES THE SNITCH!  
  
GRYFFINDOR WINS 170-0!"  
  
I laughed and flew over the where the rest of the team was congregating. We  
  
all slapped hands and greeted Carly when she flew over to us. As a team, we  
  
flew back down to the ground, were the crowd was still cheering.  
  
Of course, Captain O' Captain had a nice long speech in store for us once we  
  
made it back to the locker room. It was generally about how this was only  
  
our first game, and we had to be extra prepared for the next one, who we  
  
could see where we needed to improve now, blah, blah, blah.  
  
But the party in the tower that night was huge, and a great stress-lifter.  
  
Well, at least for the moment.  
  
A few days later Meg, Avery, Lucy, and I were sitting in our dormitory,  
  
doing homework and generally joking around (Avery being rather cold, as  
  
always). Eventually Lucy and I started throwing pillows at each other, which  
  
ended up in a pillow fight. I had just been knocked off my bed when Lucy  
  
pointed to the window.  
  
"Hey, Erika, look, it's Hedwig," she said.  
  
I bent my head backwards so I could see out the window. Sure enough Hedwig  
  
was flying just outside the window, a letter tied to her leg. I scrambled up  
  
and opened the window. Hedwig flew in.  
  
"Hi, Hedwig," I said, taking the letter off her leg.  
  
Once the letter was gone she flew off almost immediately. I was confused by  
  
her actions. Usually she waited around for a snack or a reply.  
  
The others noticed this strange behavior.  
  
"What was that about? Harry must really need her or something." Meg said,  
  
shutting the window behind me to keep out the cold autumn air.  
  
I unrolled the letter. It was very short, only a few lines. Harry's  
  
handwriting was very shaky, but I could still read it.  
  
"Erika- While in Diagon Alley with Becky this morning Sarah was taken  
  
captive by Death Eaters. Becky is safe, but we don't know where Sarah is.  
  
The others should be around soon to talk to you. Harry."  
  
I dropped the letter onto the ground with a shriek.  
  
"What is it, Erika?" Avery, Lucy, and Meg asked, concerned and frightened.  
  
"Oh my gosh, no," I whispered, "No."  
  
Author's Notes- well, that's it. Stay tuned for the next chap. I have a great deal of it done. Okay, special thanks to Galagirl, my awesome beta- reader (she got this back to me in ONE day, snaps for her). Also, special thanks to those reviewers who have been with me since the beginning: there are quite a few out there. Now, REVIEW!!!!  
  
Any additional comments can be given to me at StarlightEve111aol.com 


	35. The Rise and Fall of Snake Eyes

Author's Notes- Hi all, it's me again. Well, that's pretty obvious, but that's not the point. Anyways, here's the next chap. Hope you enjoy it. Sorry that I left you on a minor cliffie, but you'll get over it. Now. Hehe. Anyway, enjoy! REVIEW!!!! After you READ!!!!!  
  
Disclaimer- The usual. I own nothing, it all belongs to the great Harry Potter people. I am not get paid.  
  
Erika – The Legacy of Lily and James  
  
"Erika, what's wrong?" Meg repeated, coming forward.  
  
She picked up the letter, read it, and passed it onto Lucy, then to Avery. Within two minutes everyone in the room knew what had happened.  
  
"Erika..." Lucy started.  
  
I shook my head, "I... I have to get home. Harry needs me. Sarah needs me. We  
  
have to find her. I have to get home."  
  
"Erika, calm down," Meg warned.  
  
But I was already moving towards my trunk, ready to pack, in a daze. Meg  
  
caught me, and grabbed my arms.  
  
"Erika, you can't just leave. The letter said..." Meg started.  
  
"The letter said, the letter said, I KNOW WHAT THE LETTER SAID!" I shouted.  
  
Meg looked startled, and took a step back. Overwhelmed, I sat down on my bed  
  
and buried my face in my hands.  
  
"I can't believe this is happening. She can't be dead, she can't be," I  
  
muttered into my hands.  
  
"No one said she was dead, Erika. The letter just said she was missing,"  
  
Lucy reminded me.  
  
I shook my head, "She's been kidnapped by Death Eaters. Death Eaters, Lucy!  
  
They don't take hostages they kill! And they're going to kill Sarah."  
  
"Erika, you have to calm down, you're going to make yourself sick," Lucy  
  
said.  
  
"I don't care. I don't want to calm down! I don't want to!" I shouted,  
  
beginning to cry.  
  
Then I broke down, crying. My roommates stood around, uncertain of what to  
  
do. I couldn't believe it. Sarah was a captive of those ruthless, merciless,  
  
evil Death Eaters. In the short time I'd known her, Sarah had become a  
  
sister to me, and I didn't want her to die. Why did it seem like whenever I  
  
got close to anyone they died or left?  
  
There was a knock at the door, and Avery quickly scuttled over. She opened  
  
the door to reveal Anya and Professor McGonagall.  
  
They rushed into the room, full of concern. Anya sat down beside me, and  
  
wrapped her arms around me.  
  
"Calm down, Erika, it's going to be okay," she whispered in my ear.  
  
"We just got the news," McGonagall told me.  
  
I continued to sob.  
  
"Erika, you have to listen to us. It's very important. There's good news  
  
too, really, there is," Anya told me.  
  
I looked up at her, and asked, "What, is Voldemort dead? Because that is the  
  
only thing I'd consider good news right about now."  
  
"Erika, we don't think Sarah's dead," Anya told me, "In fact, we don't even  
  
think Voldemort has her. Apparently there have been two distinctive groups of Death Eaters in Voldemort's services for quite some time, which is bound to happen when you have such large numbers. Voldemort has always encouraged the competition between the groups because they did better and were more  
  
obedient. But now it looks like one group's decided the best way to become the most favored is to do something without orders."  
  
"Snake Eyes," Meg breathed, "Named for Voldemort himself. That's the group I know it. They always were the more drastic actors."  
  
Anya nodded, "They attacked Diagon Alley and what luck, found Sarah Johnson, the fiancée of the hated Harry Potter. But it seems Voldemort wasn't as pleased with them as they thought he would be. All our sources are telling us there is still a distinct hope that she's alive and being held by them."  
  
"Erika," Meg said, "I know these men. They won't kill her and they won't give her to Voldemort until he agrees to their terms. And he's so selfish and self-obsessed that he won't. He can stand people disobeying him. She's alive, for now."  
  
"Your brother's working at finding her," McGonagall said  
  
What she left unsaid I knew: the Order was doing the same.  
  
"I want to talk to him," I decided, "I have to talk to him."  
  
"Not now. He's still trying to find her. And it's too dangerous right now for Professor Dumbledore to let you leave the school," Anya said, "But we'll tell Harry that you want to talk to him."  
  
I asked, "Not even by Floo?"  
  
"No. There's no time," Anya said, "Every moment is crucial. Now, I want you to try and get to sleep."  
  
I shook my head, wiping my eyes, "I don't think I can. I'll be too worried."  
  
"Yes, I thought of that," McGonagall said, then handed me a vial, "This is a dreamless sleep potion. Take it if you can't sleep. Don't waste your energy, Miss Potter, do try to sleep."  
  
I nodded, and took the vial, setting it down beside my bed.  
  
"You are excused from classes tomorrow, as well," McGonagall said, "The Headmaster's orders."  
  
Anya stood up, and whispered, "Be strong, Erika, and try to be calm. We'll find her."  
  
She and McGonagall left the room, leaving the four of us alone again. There was silence in the room for a moment. The silence was followed by uncomfortable conversation, as we all got ready for bed. I changed into my nightclothes automatically, mechanically. I was in a daze. I still couldn't believe Sarah was captive.  
  
About a half hour later, followed by quiet whispers between Avery and Lucy, both were asleep. Meg and I sat up in our own beds. My curtains were open so I could see the window; I didn't care about the cold.  
  
I kept hoping to see Hedwig with news, her beak tapping against the window.  
  
"Erika," Meg whispered, "You have to get to sleep. You heard what McGonagall and Anya said. You need sleep."  
  
"I don't want to miss Hedwig. What if they find her and I'm asleep?" I asked.  
  
Meg sighed, and then replied, "I'm a light sleeper, and I'll wake up, then tell you. Take the potion, Erika."  
  
I still didn't want to, and turned to face Meg. Her face was hard.  
  
"Erika..." she started.  
  
I nodded, and reached for the potion. It tasted awful going down, but I drank it. I set the vial back on my bed stand.  
  
"I'll wake up, Erika, I promise," Meg whispered.  
  
Against my wishes I felt myself slipping into sleep.  
  
When I woke up brilliant sunlight was streaming through the windows. The dormitory was silent.  
  
At first I was confused because the dormitory was empty, and then everything came flooding back. Sarah was missing. Meg, Avery, and Lucy were at classes, and I was alone in the Gryffindor Tower.  
  
I leaned against the headboard, and squeezed my eyes shut. I didn't want any of it to be true. I wished I could turn back time and erase it, make it so it never happened.  
  
But I couldn't, so I got out of bed. There was a note on my bedside table.  
  
"There was no news. I'll see you at break. Meg."  
  
I sat down and wrote a short letter to my brother, asking him to send me news as soon as he got some. I got dressed, went to the Owlery, and then returned. I settled down and resigned myself to waiting.  
  
As she'd promised, Meg came to visit during break.  
  
"Avery and Lucy, or rather, Lucy, wanted to come too but I told them not to," Meg told me, sitting down on her bed, "Any word yet?"  
  
I shook my head, "None."  
  
"Well, I talked to Dumbledore for an hour this morning, so I hope it gets better. And Lucas told me to tell you he's hoping they'll find her soon," Meg continued on.  
  
"How did he know?" I asked.  
  
Meg suddenly looked uncomfortable.  
  
"His parents owled him this morning. They're in the Order, too, remember?"  
  
I nodded, "I remember. But there's something else you're not telling me. I can read you like I do Harry. What is it?"  
  
"There was an article in the Daily Prophet as well," Meg said, "I have a copy."  
  
I didn't read the article until after Meg left. It was front-page news, the top of the article titled "Attack on Diagon Alley: One Missing".  
  
"Yesterday afternoon, just after the noon hour, a group of ten Death Eaters appeared in the crowded Diagon Alley. The crowds panicked, and chaos ensued immediately. The Death Eaters began to shoot curses into the crowd. When the dust finally cleared the Death Eaters were gone, as was one of the witches who had been present before the attack.  
  
"The missing witch is none other than American Sarah Johnson, the fiancée of the famous Harry Potter. Eyewitnesses say she had been shopping with her sister, a Miss Rebecca Johnson, who had been visiting from the United States. When the Death Eaters appeared Sarah Johnson quickly told her sister to apparate, as many of the others were doing. Meanwhile, the elder sister brandished her wand and pushed through the panicked crowd, apparently intent on fighting the Death Eaters.  
  
"On lookers believe Sarah Johnson was taken captive by the Death Eaters while the younger sister stood, still lost in the crowd. Rebecca Johnson, weeping, told this reporter, 'She was there. I saw her, running through the crowd. The next moment she was gone, just like that!' That is the only quote we are able to receive from the young Johnson.  
  
"Likewise, we only received one quote from Johnson's fiancé, the famous Harry Potter, who has not been able to comment. Potter did, however, say, "We'll find her. I'll look for her. She's not dead yet." What leads him to these beliefs no one can really be sure.  
  
"There has been no news on Sarah Johnson or her current state. Stay tuned to the Prophet for updates."  
  
"Figures," I whispered, putting the newspaper down.  
  
Around dinnertime Meg came running into the room, her face red from the running.  
  
"Erika!" she shouted, "I just talked to Anya. Harry's coming to talk to you tonight, but only for an hour!"  
  
I stood up, pleasantly surprised.  
  
"Really?" I asked.  
  
Meg nodded, "Anya told me to tell you to be in Dumbledore's office at eight o'clock."  
  
"Okay," I said.  
  
Avery and Lucy arrived later, both with comforting words (or what they thought was comforting) for me. While they settled down to do homework I waited until eight. At a quarter to eight I set off for Dumbledore's office, walking silently down the hallway.  
  
Anya was waiting for me at the entrance to Dumbledore's office.  
  
"How are you doing, Erika?" Anya asked.  
  
I shrugged, and replied, "I really have to talk to Harry."  
  
"That's why he's here," Anya replied, "He's talking with Dumbledore and McGonagall right now. But they're waiting for you."  
  
We walked up to Dumbledore's office in silence. When we entered I quickly looked around the room. Dumbledore was seated behind his desk, Professor McGonagall was standing not far away, and Harry was leaning against a wall, talking.  
  
Everything fell silent when we came in.  
  
Immediately I rushed to my brother and hugged him. He hugged me back.  
  
"Miss Potter, we've been waiting for you," Dumbledore said, going to stand up.  
  
I nodded, and asked, "Is there any word? Any at all?"  
  
"We have some ideas where she might be. They're looking right now. Meg helped us out; she knows where a lot of the old safe houses are. Professor Snape is helping too," Harry answered.  
  
"So you're going to find her soon?" I asked.  
  
Anya nodded, "Yes, soon."  
  
"I can't stay long, Erika, I have to get back to the search," Harry told me.  
  
I had expected that. He looked really tired, and I doubted that he had slept at all since Sarah had disappeared.  
  
"How's Becky?" I asked.  
  
"She's okay. She tried to help with the search effort, but Dumbledore cautioned her against it. She's not a member of the Order. But she's okay," Harry answered.  
  
"What about Mrs. Johnson?" I asked.  
  
Harry broke a small smile, "She came over as soon as she got the news, and has practically driven Sarah's room-mate off a cliff since then."  
  
I managed a smile as well.  
  
We talked for a little while, then Harry had to leave.  
  
"I'll owl you as soon as anything changes," Harry said.  
  
I nodded, "Okay."  
  
With that he stepped into the fire and disappeared.  
  
"Miss Potter, it is time you return to your dormitory," Dumbledore said, "Madam Pomfrey has given us another dreamless sleep potion for you, if you wish to use it. I strongly suggest you rest."  
  
"You may also sit out classes tomorrow, if you like," Professor McGonagall added.  
  
I nodded, "I'll think about it."  
  
Anya led me back to my dormitory, where Avery, Lucy, and Meg were all waiting up for me, all of them eager for news.  
  
I just shook my head, and told them there was no change. Finally, Avery and Lucy went to bed, and I was able to talk to Meg alone.  
  
"It sounds like they're really close," Meg said, "That's good, isn't it?"  
  
I nodded, "Yes."  
  
"Are you going to go to classes tomorrow?" Meg asked.  
  
I shrugged, "I might."  
  
"It'll help with the waiting," Meg reminded me, "So you won't just be sitting around, waiting. It'll help pass the time."  
  
"That's true," I whispered, staring up at the canopy of my bed.  
  
"You'd better take your potion," Meg said, "So that you can get some sleep. You look horrible."  
  
So I did. The potion took a minute or so to take affect, and I fell asleep, still talking to Meg.  
  
The next morning I did as promised. I went with Avery, Lucy, and Meg down to breakfast. The entire school seemed to be watching me, knowing that someone I knew was a captive of the Death Eaters.  
  
I had barely sat down when Lucas came over.  
  
"Hi Avery, Lucy, Meg," he said, nodding to each of them, then continued, "Hi, Erika."  
  
"Hi Lucas," I whispered.  
  
Lucas smiled, "They're going to find her, Erika. They've got everyone working on it."  
  
He said all this in a whisper, so only Meg and I could hear.  
  
He gave me another smile and sat back down at his own seat. I turned around to face my own plate to see Lucy piling it with food.  
  
"You look absolutely horrible, Erika. You're all pale. You need to eat," she said, piling a load of eggs onto my plate.  
  
"I never eat this much, even when I'm well," I told her.  
  
She shrugged, "I find people eat more when they're distressed."  
  
So I ate what I could, knowing people were whispering to their friends about Harry, Sarah, and me. I bit my lip, and said nothing. When breakfast was done we went to our classes.  
  
Meg was right, it was a good distraction to have to concentrate on my lessons. I was glad none of my professors had easy lessons in store for us.  
  
In fact, in our late afternoon Potions class, Snape gave us a particularly hard potion to brew.  
  
He told us that the potion was likely to show up on our final, and set us to work. Meg's presence always kept him calm around our class, mostly because the sight of Meg set him off at anger at Ruth and made him remember his dead family.  
  
We started on our potion, all of us confused at what to do. Avery made a funny noise when she dropped in her frog legs instead of her frog eyes. When she tried to fish them out with her ladle the potion began to bubble over.  
  
Snape had to come over and make the potion disappear, but told us that we had to help her clean it up. He left with a sneer on his face. I glared at his back, but helped Avery clean up anyway.  
  
We weren't even halfway through when there was a knock at the classroom door. One of the prefects entered, and started looking around the room.  
  
"Professor, I have a summons from Professor Dumbledore," the prefect said, "He wants to see Erika Potter right away."  
  
I looked up from my cleaning.  
  
"Potter!" Snape shouted.  
  
I stood up, and asked, "Yes, Professor?"  
  
"The headmaster wants to see you. Clean up your workplace, then you can leave," Snape said.  
  
Quickly, I cleared my workplace, stuffing my books and things back into my bag. I glanced down at Meg, Avery, and Lucy, who all looked confused, before following the prefect out the door.  
  
My stomach was clenched. Something had happened, something big. Had they found Sarah? Was she dead?  
  
I barely remembered the trip to Dumbledore's office, and found myself standing at his door without even knowing how I'd got there.  
  
I knocked lightly on the door.  
  
"Come in," Dumbledore called from within.  
  
I opened the door.  
  
"Miss Potter. I thought it was you," Dumbledore said.  
  
He was not alone. Ron stood nearby, obviously just getting done telling him something. He looked very dirty, and his red hair was matted with dirt.  
  
"Erika, Harry sent me to tell you. We found Sarah, just about an hour ago. She's all right, well, she's alive at least," Ron said.  
  
I felt as though a huge burden had been dropped and I could breathe free again. I smiled, weakly.  
  
"She's okay. When we found her she was pretty beaten, but she's okay. Harry's with her, they took her to St. Mungo's. Harry wanted me to tell you so that you would know sooner," Ron told me, "It was as we thought, a group of rebellious Death Eaters kidnapped her, and when Voldemort found out he refused to even think about them, really, so he didn't have her."  
  
I looked over at Dumbledore, and asked, "Do you think you could let me leave for the weekend, professor, so I could go visit her?"  
  
Dumbledore shook his head, sadly, "I don't think so, Miss Potter. It is very dangerous for you to leave the school right now. Voldemort will be very upset that the Order managed to save Miss Johnson, and we can't risk sending you from the school."  
  
I knew what he said was true, but I was sad nonetheless.  
  
"I have to go, Erika, there is more work to do," Ron said, "Expect word from Harry soon, though."  
  
I nodded, "I will. Thanks, Ron."  
  
"Don't worry about it. Goodbye, Professor, Erika," he said.  
  
Dumbledore and I replied and watched as Ron stepped closer to the fire.  
  
With one last wave he stepped into the flames and disappeared. I turned to Dumbledore, who was smiling faintly.  
  
"I am glad Miss Johnson is safe," he said, "And I am glad you are happy. I expect you can head off to dinner, the rest of the school will be there shortly."  
  
"Thank you, Professor," I replied, and left the room.  
  
I felt exuberant as I walked down the hallways towards the Great Hall. Sarah was safe! The Great Hall was silent when I entered, but not five minutes later the rest of the school began to file in. Meg, Avery, and Lucy rushed over as soon as they saw me.  
  
"Sarah's safe. They found her this afternoon. She's at St. Mungo's, but she'll be fine!" I exclaimed to each of them, their faces clearly apprehensive.  
  
Meg and Lucy hugged me, and Avery shook my hand (I expected this had something to do with the fact she didn't much like me, still, and I found it highly amusing). After dinner, back in our dormitory, I found it VERY hard to concentrate. I was so happy when Hedwig appeared at the window, with a letter from Harry.  
  
Meg and I were alone in the room, as Lucy and Avery were in the library.  
  
"What does it say, Erika?" Meg asked, looking up from her work.  
  
"Dear Erika, I expect Ron's already told you, as I asked him to, but we found Sarah. She's safe, at St. Mungo's as I write this. She's suffering a few complications due to some charms they used on her, but she's okay. The Healers decided she could leave tomorrow morning. I expect you want to know about how we found her. Well, Meg and Snape told us about some of the secret safe houses Death Eaters use, and we found her at one of them this afternoon. We had several Aurors helping us (rather, those still under Ministry control but loyal to Dumbledore, a strange situation, really), and we managed to capture ten Death Eaters for questioning and eventual trial. Six escaped they probably went back to Voldemort. Sarah wants me to tell you that she's okay and she's happy to know you were concerned. Becky and Mrs. Johnson are both here right now, so I'll send this off with Hedwig. P.S.- Becky and Mrs. Johnson both want me to tell you they send their best. Both look entirely stressed from this entire situation, but, really, who isn't? Harry."  
  
"That sounds promising," Meg said.  
  
I nodded, "Yeah."  
  
I sat down to write a reply when Avery and Lucy entered the dormitory, both looking very excited.  
  
"Erika, look at this." Lucy said, throwing a copy of the Nightly Prophet into my lap.  
  
On the bottom of the front page was another article.  
  
"Missing Witch Found," I read.  
  
"Read on," Lucy said.  
  
"This afternoon a group of Aurors as well as friends of the missing witch, an American named Sarah Johnson, stormed a Death Eater hideout. Ten Death Eaters were captured to be questioned and stand trial. It is reported that a few others managed to escape the raid.  
  
"Found in the near ruined building was Miss Johnson, fiancée to Harry Potter, who was among her rescuers. Johnson was reported to have been in fair condition, and was taken by friends to St. Mungo's immediately for treatment. Sources tell us that she will be released the following morning.  
  
"For information on the captured Death Eaters, see page 3."  
  
I set down the paper, "It doesn't tell me anything other than what I already knew."  
  
Meg took the paper and opened it to page 3. A few minutes later, she looked up, surprised and excited.  
  
"Erika, they caught Crabbe, do you remember him? He went to school with Harry," Meg said.  
  
I looked over her shoulder at the page. There were pictures of all the captured Death Eaters as well as their names. Sure enough, the ugly oaf glared up at us. Two columns below I read another name and saw the picture, another man not much older than us, with brown hair and menacing eyes. Meg saw my gaze.  
  
"My half-brother," she whispered, "Always knew he would be caught. Too drastic of a character, he is."  
  
"If he's being questioned, that's a good thing. But it also means another Riddle in the Ministry's control. Think you can handle it, Meg?" I asked.  
  
She nodded, "As long as they don't make me talk to him, which I doubt they will, I can pretend he doesn't exist. That's what I've done for the rest of them."  
  
The next morning I received an owl from Sarah, and it was very nice to see her handwriting. It basically said what Harry's letter said, except she had been released early that morning. They promised to come visit as soon as they could.  
  
Meg told me at breakfast, coming in late after a meeting with Dumbledore, that she'd Seen while she'd slept last night.  
  
"It was about those six Death Eaters who escaped, back to Voldemort," Meg whispered, "He's going to execute them. I Saw it."  
  
I looked around to make sure no one had heard, and motioned for Meg to follow me into the deserted hallway.  
  
"What'd you See?" I asked.  
  
Meg shrugged, "It was really bad, really. The six of them were standing in a line, and he and Ruth were looking at them. He told them that for betraying him they were going to pay with their lives, or something along those lines, I don't really remember. And then Ruth asked if she could kill them, for practice. I remember this part the best, really.  
  
"And he sneered at the Death Eaters and said, 'They don't deserve my wand, nor yours. Bring the other children here. They can practice a bit.'  
  
"Then he brought the other children in, and they're mostly quite young, most of them can't do the death curse very good, not enough to kill efficiently. So it took more than an hour before the lot of them were dead, and mostly from torturing from what little the children could do."  
  
I shuddered, "That's horrible."  
  
Meg nodded, "Do you think they deserved it, Erika?"  
  
I hesitated, and thought.  
  
"I dunno, they did horrible things, but to die like that, knowing you were going to die, and when you know you just want to get it done with. Knowing you don't have a chance, and waiting in such pain I dunno, Meg," I whispered.  
  
Author's Note- Hope you enjoyed it. Thanks to my fabulous beta-reader, Glaz (previously known as Galagirl). Thanks to all my wonderful reviewers, I owe you guys. Have a jolly good summer. The next chap might be a little slow in coming, I will be, sadly, away from computers for about two weeks. But I'll try to write it out normally and type it ASAP. REVIEW!!!!!  
  
Any Additional Comments can be given to me at StarlightEve111aol.com 


	36. Trust is a facade

Author's Note- Sorry this took so long!!! Glaz, will you please email me back? You never answered when I sent you this chap. So, peoples, please forgive all editing mistakes! Next chapter will be up as soon as I finish it! You've waited too long, so I'm going to shut up now.

Disclaimer (sorry, but it's required)- I own nothing. It all belongs to the Great Harry Potter People. Everything. I'm not getting paid, not even a cent.

Erika – The Legacy of Lily and James 

It was December. The entire wizarding world in England and other parts of the world had their faces constantly pressed to the Daily Prophet, reading for news on the captured Snake Eyes members. They were being questioned every day. The Hogwarts students were no exception to this, reading eagerly for news.

But there was no news on the thing both Meg and I were looking the most for: her brother. It appeared he hadn't been questioned yet.

"That's strange, they've questioned everyone else," I observed after we set down another Daily Prophet with no news for us.

"It is strange," Meg agreed, "Why aren't they questioning him? You'd think they'd question him first."

I nodded, "Maybe they're waiting for something. We'll get the real news soon, though. It's almost Christmas, and Harry's bound to know something more than what the Daily Prophet's telling us."

"You're going home for Christmas, then?" Meg asked.

"Mrs. J and Sarah want to take us to look at dresses for the wedding. Only a few months left before Harry and Sarah'll be married. They're also starting to plan the building of the house. They won't actually start the building until the snow is gone, but with magic the building won't take long at all," I answered.

Meg grinned, "You're excited."

"Yeah. We're going to have a proper family now. It's going to be great. Harry and Sarah both want kids, and we're going to live in a proper house," I said, "I've only ever had Harry, and I've only had him for a few years. Now I'll have Sarah, too, and her family," I replied, grinning.

Meg laughed, and we looked up as the remainder of the owls dropped their post. One owl dropped an envelope right into Meg's lap before hooting and flying off.

"What's this?" Meg asked, "I never get mail."

I shrugged, I couldn't think of any reason for her to be getting mail. Meg read it quickly, and her hand tightend on the parchment, wrinkling it.

"They want me to talk to my brother. He's refusing to say anything until I talk with him," Meg hissed, "They want me to go to talk to him over Christmas break."

"What?" I asked, shocked.

Meg nodded, "I... I don't want to. I hate my brother."

"I know," I whispered, "Why would he want to talk to you?"

"I don't know. He thinks I'm a traitor. He hates me, I'm sure of it. Why does he want to talk to me?" Meg asked.

"They can't make you go," I reminded her.

Meg shook her head, "It's the Ministry. Dumbledore may have unofficially cut me off from them, but they're still the ones who are paying for me, giving me an allowance every month. If I don't they'll offically cut me off themselves, and I won't have any money."

"Anya'll give you some," I assured her.

"Anya's getting paid to keep me, too. And she can't get paid too much from this job," Meg said.

I shrugged, "Dumbledore won't make you go if you don't want to, Meg."

Either way I wasn't surprised when a prefect called Meg up to see Dumbledore later that day. I was, however, surprised when they asked for me to come, too.

"I know why Dumbledore needs to see you, but why does he need to see me?" I asked as we waited outside Dumbledore's office.

Meg gave me a worried look, and I knew she was thinking the same thing I was: something bad had happened. Again. Just as things were starting to calm down for me.

Anya opened the door to the office, and looked ready to walk out when she saw us, and stopped dead.

"Hi Meg, Erika," she said.

She wasn't smile, but she didn't look too troubled. That had to be good, sort of.

"Bad news?" I asked, biting my lip.

Anya smiled, "Not really, Erika. Not for you, at least. Meg already knows that she's waiting for bad news."

"I don't have to go, do I?" Meg asked, completely skipping the explination of what her bad news was.

We already knew. Her half-brother was demanding to see her, and he wouldn't talk without talking to her first.

"The Ministry is insisting, Meg," Anya whispered, "They want the information he has, and he's refusing to tell anything without talking to you first."

"Can't they just use Veritaserum?" I asked.

Anya shook her head, "The Ministry has to abide by their own laws. They set up the policy just a few months ago. Veritaserum must be used with the willingness of the person it is being admisitered on. They hammered that one out for all the wrong reasons."

"So he's refusing to take it?" I asked.

"Yes. He's promised he'll take it once he talks to Meg, but not until," Anya replied.

Meg looked angry, "He's a dirty liar. I hate him. I hate them all. Why should I have to talk to him? He probably just wants to tell me that they're trying to kill me. As if I haven't noticed. Or, better yet, he'll probably try to kill me."

"I've spoken to Dumbledore. I've told him that as your official guardian-of-sorts I refuse to let you go alone. I'm going to go with you," Anya said, "He won't try to kill you while I'm there."

"I'm coming, too," I added in.

Anya turned to look at me, an uneasy look on her face.

"Don't say it," I warned, "I'm going, even if I have to steal Harry's invisibility cloak."

Anya grinned, then said, "You'll have to ask Dumbledore."

"I will," I assured her.

"Well, he wants to see you, so I'll see you two later," Anya said, and hurried down the stairs.

Meg and I went into Dumbledore's office. He was smiling.

"As I am sure Miss Jones has already told you," he started, "It appears as though you must go and speak to your brother, Miss Riddle."

Meg nodded, "Anya did say."

"I've made all the arrangements, and I spoke with Mr. Potter. You're to meet with the prisoner over the Christmas holidays. You'll return to London with Miss Potter, and stay with her until your meeting with your brother, the day following. Miss Jones has asked to accompany you," Dumbledore told her.

I cut in, "Professor, I'd like permission to go as well."

Dumbledore examined me for a minute, thinking over the idea.

"Miss Potter, I do not know if this is a good idea," Dumbledore said, carefully.

"Meg's my best friend. I want to go with her, to help her," I protested, "Please, Professor."

Meg nodded, "I want Erika there, Professor. I want Anya and Erika there."

Dumbledore finally nodded, "All right. After the meeting you will return to the school. Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, and a few other members of the Order have agreed to accompany you here."

"Yes, Professor," Meg said.

"You are, both of you, to listen to whatever Mr. Riddle may say in his meeting with you. You will tell me when you return," Dumbledore said.

We nodded, and agreed.

Dumbledore dismissed us, and we left his office. We weren't very far from the gargoyle when Meg stopped, and leaned against a wall.

"What?" I asked.

"I don't want to go. I really don't," Meg whispered.

"You only have to be there for a few minutes. Only a few words, that's all," I said, trying to offer some comfort.

Meg shook her head, and looked up at the ceiling.

"Why does he want to talk to me, anyway? He hates me. He always has. First it was because Ruth favored me, and Ruth was the favorite of Grandfather. Now he hates me because I'm a traitor. There was never any brotherly-sisterly feelings between us, between any of us. Why does he want to talk to me?" Meg asked.

I shrugged, "Maybe he's sorry."

"Yeah, right. We weren't taught to regret," Meg whispered, "I was the only one who ever regretted anything, and I regretted everything."

"But maybe now that he's been captured..." I started.

"Won't change a thing, I know it won't," Meg interuppted me, "Erika, we were taught to never, ever, regret anything we did. We were told that to regret something is to be weak. 'Never feel sorry, never, or you will be killed.' They told us that at least twice a day. And when I started to feel regret..."

She trailed off, leaving me staring. Meg swallowed, and looked at the ground.

"I found poison in my food. Just like what happened a few weeks ago," Meg whispered, "They tried to kill me, just like I was always told they would. He's not sorry for anything. Because if he thinks he feels sorry for anything, he thinks he'll be killed. Or, worse yet, he'll kill himself."

We had a Hogsmeade trip before we returned for the holidays. It was very cold out, and a lot of the students were sick. So the group making the walk through the snow to Hogsmeade was small. Avery was sick, so it was Meg, Lucy, and I. Lucy was in a cheerful mood. Meg was glum, the impending meeting with her brother constantly on her mind. I was a medium, resting somewhere between the two.

"We'll see if we can buy Avery some of those candies they have, the ones that make you feel very cold. Freezers, or something. That way, her fever'll go down," Lucy said, wrapping her arm in her scarf.

"I don't think it'll work, Lucy, or Madam Pomfrey would've tried. But we can buy them anyway," I replied, peering through the thick falling snow.

"Maybe we can get her some butterbeer, too," Lucy continued, "She's so grumpy because she can't come. I do feel sorry for her, but I'm glad I'M not sick. I hate being sick, especially just as Christmas holidays are coming up."

I pulled my cloak closer to me, trying to keep the cold out. Meg was looking in the direction of the forest, her face emotionless.

"What's wrong with you two?" Lucy asked, "Every since those Death Eaters were caught you both have been really depressed. You especially, Meg. I'd think you'd be happy, Erika, they kidnapped your brother's fiancée."

"It's nothing, Lucy," I whispered, "Where do you want to go first?"

Lucy returned to her chatter about Hogsmeade, and I began to seriously think about making sure she never had sugar in her breakfast again.

I bought gifts for my family and friends in Hogsmeade, as did Lucy and Meg. After we were done with our shopping, Lucy suggested we go get something to drink.

"I could go for a Butterbeer," I replied, shrugging, looking in the direction of the Three Broomsticks.

"I've got a better idea," Lucy said, "This new drink shop opened not far from Zonko's. I saw a sign for it while we were shopping. It's called Senora Garza's."

I looked over at Meg, who shrugged.

"Why not?" I answered.

So the three of us trudged off in the direction of Zonko's. It took us a few minutes to find Senora Garza's, and when we did find it we found a shop decorated with a clearly Spanish style. "Senora Garza's Drink Shop" was scrawled on the back wall in both English and Spanish.

"Five Knuts says Senora Garza is Spanish," I whispered.

Lucy knudged me, and we sat down. We weren't the only students there, there were a few other groups sitting at tables around the room.

An older woman, whom I presumed was Senora Garza, swept over to our table where bright orange and red robes.

"How can I help you?" she asked, with a fake Spanish accent.

I nearly laughed. The woman wasn't Spanish, she was English. That much was clear. You can always tell if someone is trying to speak with a foreign accent and can't.

"We'll take three butterbeers, Senora," Lucy ordered.

Senora Garza nodded, "Of course. Right away."

Once she left I buried my head in my hands so I could laugh.

"What? What's so funny?" Lucy asked.

"Senora Garza," I replied, still laughing, "She's not Spanish. She's English. Her accent's all wrong."

Lucy srunched her eyebrows and asked, "How d'you know?"

"They tried to teach us Spanish at the orphanage. Or, rather, the older kids. I never got to learn because the teacher, Senorita Something or Another, who was born and raised in Spain, quit. Something about the students being to rowdy and throwing her books out the window," I answered.

Meg wasn't looking at me, she was looking past me, her face the same, emotionless. I turned my head and saw a group of people seated at the table behind us. They weren't students, they were older, and they were staring at us. When they saw my face they started whispering.

"Now what is it?" Lucy asked.

I watched as Senora Garza delivered their drinks, and they started whispering something to her.

Lucy repeated her question, and I turned back to her.

"Nothing," I said.

"I don't believe you," Lucy told me, "You've both been acting really weird today. What's going on?"

"Nothing," I repeated, firmly, "Bad day, that's all."

Lucy still didn't look convinced.

"Excuse me, ladies," Senora Garza said, sliding up next to our table, looking very upset about something.

Her eyes flicked to Meg, then to me, then she spoke again.

"I must ask you to leave, politely. You are disturbing quite a few of my customers, and I, Senora Garza, pride myself on how calm and serene my drink shop is."

Lucy looked incredulous, and asked, "You're joking, right? You want us to leave?"

"I'm afraid so. I'm very sorry," Senora Garza said, "But as I said, you are disturbing..."

"We know, we're disturbing your customers. How? All we're doing is sitting here," Lucy pointed out.

I knew exactly why we were disturbing the customers. It was because of Meg, and most likely, me, too. Quite a few wizards and witches didn't believe our stories and thought us both spies for Voldemort. The fact that we were sitting in the drink shop probably gave them thoughts that we were going to kill them all.

"It's all right, Lucy," I said, "We'll go over to Three Broomsticks. At least we're welcome there."

Three Broomsticks was a popular spot for students on weekends, a lot of villagers didn't stop there during Hogsmeade weekends. And the students knew us, we'd be welcome there. Well, maybe not entirely welcome, but we wouldn't be shunned.

Lucy was still shocked.

"Erika, they can't just chuck us out," Lucy hissed, "We should be able to argue this."

"Lucy," I protested, "There's a completely different point behind this, that we should be arguing. But here is not the best place."

Meg knew what I was talking about, and grabbed her cloak.

"Erika's right, Lucy," Meg chimed in, "Besides, I'm not sure I want to drink here if I know I'm not welcome."

It began to dwell on Lucy what this whole thing was about. And about time, too.

I stood up, and grabbed my cloak as well. I thought about saying some comment, but figured there was no use. They'd just think worse of me, of us, if I said anything else. So I just stood there. Lucy had to surrender, and grabbed her cloak.

"How rude," she whispered, and we left the shop.

Standing outside, in the street, she turned to us.

"I can't believe it. They don't trust you enough to let you even share the same drink room with you. How terrible," Lucy said.

I shrugged, "It's hard times, and it has been for many, many years. A lot of people stopped trusting. And we need their trust because our histories are so far-fetched. But no one trusts us, so neither of us are liked."

"You know, Erika, it's amazing how fast you can go from being a normal giddy teenage girl to being a time-wizened thinker," Lucy whispered.

"I have to," I said, "Like you said, I'm time-wizened."

There was silence for a minute, then Lucy asked, "So, how about Three Broomsticks."

"I'm not thirsty anymore," Meg whispered, "Let's just go back up to the castle. I feel sick."

So we headed back up to the castle, walking in silence except for Lucy's occasional outbursts.

The Hogwarts Express came to take us all home for the holidays. It was a long ride, and Meg was more depressed then ever, her meeting with her brother constantly on her mind. I, on the other hand, was happy to be going home. I had seen Harry and Sarah twice since Sarah's kidnapping, and this holiday would be spent mostly planning the wedding. My dress would be chosen, and I would get to see the plans for the house that would be built in the spring. It was a promising holiday.

It was a long trip to London, and Meg was quiet. I talked with Lucy and Avery, who were both returning for the holidays and shared the carriage with us. It was a relief to pull up to King's Cross.

Harry and Sarah were waiting for us by Platform nine, as always. I hugged them both, and then grinned.

"Both of you? This is quite a surprise. Usually one of you is doing work for the Order," I said.

Sarah smiled, "I am. They asked me to see to it that Meg, here, is delivered safely to the Potter apartment."

"I'll get something to put your trunks on," Harry offered, "We should get out of here. Sarah's made us a nice dinner."

While Harry found us a cart I made Sarah tell us all about the meal she had made. We reached the apartment about an hour later (traffic was horrible).

Meg and I immediately settled in. Ron greeted us as normal, before rushing out for a date with his girlfriend.

"Ron's thinking about asking Lizzie to marry him," Harry told us, "And he's highly nervous, as usual."

I grinned, and asked, "When is he going to ask her?"

"Who knows? When he gets the nerve, probably," Sarah replied, pouring our drinks.

"Where's Becky and your mum?" I asked, looking around.

Sarah laughed, and said, "Oh, don't worry, they'll be back soon. Mom dragged Becky off to run errands."

Meg and I helped Sarah set the table while Harry transferred the food onto platters.

"Have you heard from your friend, Jewel? The one that went to France?" Sarah asked.

"A few times," I answered, "She's happy over there, I think. Her letters sound like she is."

"That's good. By the way, what time'll Anya be here tomorrow?" Harry asked.

Meg replied, "Nine."

"We'll be back before lunch," I added.

"I have to work tomorrow," Harry told me, "But I'll be back by dinner, though. Is Anya going to stay for dinner?"

Meg shook her head, "No, she has to get back to Hogwarts as soon as she can."

The buzzer rang, and I ran over to get it.

"It's Becky," the voice on the other end said, "Will one of you come down here and help us carry this stuff?"

"I'll be right down," I replied, then went back into the kitchen.

"Becky and your mum are back. I'm going down to help them carry some bags," I told everyone.

Without waiting for another word, I hurried out of the apartment and downstairs. Mrs. J and Becky were busy trying to keep the door open. I laughed at the sight of it.

"Need help?" I asked.

Becky turned and saw me, "Erika! I thought that was your voice. Mom kept saying it wasn't."

We carried the bags up and while we finished up dinner Mrs. J and Becky showed us all the things they'd bought, including bridal magazines. That entire night we had to sit there listening to, "Isn't that cute, Sarah? Won't that be a nice centerpiece?"

And while some of the stuff was nice, some of it was simply hideous.

Mrs. J, Becky, and Sarah left at eleven, and we all went to bed.

Anya was prompt to arrive at our apartment. The four of us were already awake, and three of us had already eaten breakfast. Meg refused to eat, saying she'd vomit it up and there was no point in that. And Ron hadn't really eaten much of anything. He'd picked at his food. Harry called it "pre-engagement nerves".

It was a pretty solemn morning, and Anya didn't brighten the mood much.

"Are you two ready?" she asked, dusting off her robes.

We both nodded. We were both in robes and had our hats in our hands.

"All right. The sooner we go the sooner we can leave," Anya said.

We flooed to the Ministry, and were met nearly immediately by a wizard, who introduced himself as Gregor Fransin, Department of Justice.

"I will be your escort. The prisoner is currently being kept downstairs, but after his questioning will be sent to Azkaban to await trial," Mr. Fransin explained, "Will you follow me?"

We had to have our wands inspected, and then followed Mr. Fransin to the lifts. Poor Meg was shaking, and was holding her hands together tight so no one could see. But they were turning white because of how tight she was holding them.

"It's only a few minutes, Meg," I whispered, "And Anya and I will be there the whole time."

Meg spoke through her teeth, and said, "I still don't want to see him. I hate him. I broke off all contact with him years ago! I never wanted to see him again, and I still don't."

Our lift was not touched, whether by coincidence or the Minister's order. When the door to the lift opened and a voice announced the floor. I couldn't hear it because Mr. Fransin was already speaking.

"Down those stairs there," he told us.

Our group trooped down the stairs and then down a hallway led by Mr. Fransin. Finally, he stopped in front of a door.

"The prisoner is through there," Mr. Fransin said, "I will wait outside for you, but there are others inside the room."

He knocked on the door and it opened. I couldn't see behind the wizard who opened the door, but we were quickly ushered in.

It was a small, dank, room. Meg's brother sat in a chair against one wall. His hands and legs were bound to the chair with metal restraints. Four other wizards stood in the room, waiting for us. Anya and I were directed to a bench against a wall. Meg was left alone.

"Ralph," she whispered, "You wanted to see me."

He stared at Meg for a few seconds, then nodded, "Megan. My long-lost-half-sister... what a pleasure."

He scowled at her.

"Why did you want to see me, Ralph?" Meg asked.

"They're trying to kill you, you know," he sneered, "You and your friends over there, Potter and Jones. I recognize them."

"We've noticed, Ralph," Meg replied.

He laughed, a hollow, evil, laugh.

"I'm sure you have, but you don't know how deep it lies. There is a traitor at Hogwarts, Megan. He's working hard to destroy you, and all the others our grandfather sees fit to die. And there's a great many of them. The poison might have failed, but his mind is always turning, always scheming. I'd watch your back, Megan, or you might end up like Adrienne."

Meg closed her eyes, and Ralph saw her discomfort. He grinned.

"Oh, I know all about Adrienne. I was there, you see. Grandfather thought it would be a good idea for me to watch Ruth. How victorious! One of the traitor grand-daughters dead! Now Grandfather won't settle until the other is dead," Ralph hissed.

Meg opened her eyes and asked, "Why are you telling me all this, Ralph?"

"Ruth asked me to drop you some hints. She says she likes chasing a little," Ralph said, "But you would know that, wouldn't you, Megan?"

"Who's the traitor in Hogwarts, Ralph? They're going to find out when they question you as it is," Meg said.

Ralph laughed again, "I wouldn't know."

He glanced around the room, and continued, "You know what's funny about this world, Megan? These... people... trust people with their lives, the same people who would stab them in the back just because they're a little scared. It's really such a stupid world. Ours is so much better, Megan. Why didn't you come back when you had the chance?"

"I will never, ever, go back, Ralph. YOUR world is a joke. You have no trust and you'll stab anyone in the back if you think it will make your own position higher. At least there are honest people in this world, even if they are a minority. There are none in your world," Meg hissed.

Ralph grinned, "So many people have lost their lives because they believed in that. People like your friend's parents, the Potters."

He glanced over at me. I felt like smashing his face in, and would have jumped up to do so if Anya hadn't grabbed my arm.

"Erika, it's not worth it. He's going to suffer so much more. It's not worth it," Anya whispered to me.

Ralph was laughing.

"Do you want to hurt me, Potter? Do you really think you could get that close to me, a grandson of Lord Voldemort? Your entire family was stupid. Your parents, and now your idiot brother and you. Your brother and Johnson deserve each other, those stupid idiots. So trusting. Do you know what Johnson sounds like when she screams? It's very enjoyable..."

It was getting harder and harder to listen to Anya's whisperings. I wanted nothing more than to cause pain, great pain...

The other wizards in the room were rushing forward, saying something about "provoking violence".

"You may go," one of them said to us.

The three of us left the room. Ralph saw us leave.

"Watch your back, Megan! Trust is a façade, Megan, remember that or you'll end up like..."

But we never found out who Ralph said Meg would end up as, because the wizards silenced Ralph. As we left we saw someone rush past us with a vial of Veritaserum.

Author's Notes- So, how did everyone like it? Does everyone like the title for the sixth book "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince"? Wonder who it is! And can someone please tell me how I can preserve the seperations (for lack of a better word)??? Well, that's it. Review, now! Please!


	37. I Will Not Be the Last Potter

Author's Note- Oh my goodness! It's been days, weeks, months! Yes, yes, I know! But I have been terribly occupied by quite a few things (to see one go to But I'm back… hopefully! AH! I apologize for everything, even the weird way this chapter is written. I have a bad case of writer's block. But here it is. Enjoy!

Disclaimer- I own nothing, at all. Zilch. It all belongs to the Great Harry Potter People. I am not getting paid.

Erika – The Legacy of Lily and James 

Chapter 36

Once outside the room we headed for the lift in silence. The lift was empty, save a few letters flying near the ceiling.

"Meg, are you okay?" Anya asked, finally breaking the heavy silence.

Meg nodded, solemn, and said not a word.

"Erika, what about you?" Anya asked, turning to look at me.

"Fine," I replied.

There was another long silence, which Meg broke with a whisper, "Anya, I want to go home."

She was so quiet I could barely hear her. I looked over at her, as did Anya. She was staring straight ahead, and from the expression on her face I knew her mind was racing. I had seen the same expression so many times.

Anya nodded, "All right. When we get back I'll quickly Floo back to Hogwarts and tell Dumbledore that you're upset and I want to stay with you. Then we can both go back tomorrow. How does that sound?"

Meg nodded, still staring straight ahead.

So it was done. When we reached my apartment we found it empty. Ron and Harry were both working. Anya made us promise she wouldn't leave, then Flooed of to Hogwarts.

On any other occasion I would have joked that Anya was treating us like little kids, making us promise to stay put. But the atmosphere was tense and solemn.

Meg went and sat down on the couch, and I joined her.

"Do you want something to eat?" I asked.

Meg shook her head, looking down at her hands, and whispered, "No, thanks, Erika."

When Anya came back a few minutes later we were in the same position.

"Come on, Meg, let's go home," Anya said, "Erika, will you be okay?"

I nodded, "Yeah. Someone should be home soon, or I can go over to Sarah's. Becky and Mrs. J are there."

"Okay," Anya replied, "Let's go."

Anya and Meg disappeared in the fireplace. I leaned back in the couch, and closed my eyes.

Same day

The Jones-Riddle apartment

Anya was sitting on the sofa in her living room, trying to rest after the morning she'd just had. Meg had gone straight to her room, and hadn't been seen since.

"Why do we have to go through all this?" Anya demanded of the empty room.

The furniture didn't reply. Afraid Meg had heard her quiet outburst, Anya looked up at the stairs. Meg was standing on the landing. She looked paler than usual, and her eyes were bright.

"Meg?" Anya asked.

Meg walked down the stairs, and stood before Anya, and looked as though she as struggling with herself, fighting and inward battle against herself.

Finally, she asked, "Anya? Do you think I'm evil?"

Shocked, Anya smiled, and shook her head.

"Of course not!"

Meg had tears in her eyes, and whispered, "Everyone else thinks I am. And I'm not sure… I've done… I… I've done horrible things, Anya."

Suddenly the girl began to cry, her sobs shaking her entire body. She collapsed onto the sofa beside Anya.

"I should be in Azkaban! Or worse! I… I should be dead! I don't deserve this, Anya! I'm an evil person! Everyone thinks so," Meg sobbed, "I've done such horrible things. So many people have died because of me! I don't deserve to live. Why do I get to live and they die? Why?"

Anya tried to speak calm, to hide the tears springing up in her eyes.

"Meg, some things are just meant to be. Maybe… maybe there are great things in your future and it isn't time for you to die yet. Maybe if you died our cause would lose all hope," Anya whispered, "Your information is very valuable to us."

Meg choked on her tears, and spat, "My information! That's all anyone cares about! My information! Because of it they can overlook my horrible side. Anya, I'm so afraid I might become evil, too, like Ralph and Ruth and the rest of them!"

"But you won't, Meg, I know you won't," Anya whispered, keeping her voice level, "Because you know the way you want to go. Your choices determine who you are, nothing else. You know the difference between right and wrong."

"My right and wrong are so meddled, Anya! What was once wrong is now right, what was once right is now wrong!" Meg protested.

Anya was silent for only a second before she replied, "But you know the real right, the real wrong. The difference between the two is the feeling it gives you. The feeling of elation when you do something right, and the guilt when you do something wrong. Those feelings are what determines the real right and wrong for you, Meg. And there's nothing wrong with your feelings."

The next day

As told by Erika Potter

Sarah, Mrs. J, Becky, and Jackie (Sarah's room-mate) arrived early the next morning. Harry and Ron were getting ready to go escort Anya and Meg back to Hogwarts.

"Are you nearly ready?" Mrs. J asked, "We have appointments."

I nodded, gulping down a cup of milk.

"Nearly," I said.

"Mom, stop bugging Erika. We'll make our appointments," Sarah said.

Sarah was right, we did.

It took us al day. When we finally arrived home we were exhausted and irritable. But we had completed our mission: five dresses were on order.

When we came back Harry and Ron were setting up Christmas decorations and in rather merry moods. I went to lay down on the couch and nearly crashed into a box of decorations.

"Careful," Harry warned.

"There's too many decorations," I moaned.

"There is no such thing as too many decorations," Ron commented, hanging up some tinsel.

I stared at them, cautiously, before I finally said, "What happened? You two were not this happy earlier."

Harry grabbed another bulb for the tree and said, "Dumbledore had some news. The Spanish sent some wizards to 'asess the situation' and it's 'potential risk' to them. This means the Spanish are opening their eyes and will begin to help."

I nodded, "Good news, then."

"Come on, help us decorate," Ron said, throwing a bag of tinsel at me.

I stood up and replied, "Fine, but I still say there are too many decorations."

Christmas Eve was a beautiful day. The lot of us went to the Weasley's for dinner. There was plenty of food as well as people. Ron brought Lizzie, and we brought Becky and Mrs. J.

There was a lot of snow on the ground and Becky and I took turns rolling down a hill behind the house. BY dinner the two of us were soaked and red in the face from both the cold and laughing.

Afterwards we went home. An owl was waiting by the window.

"Erika, it's for you," Harry said, tossing me a letter.

I knew who it was the moment I saw the handwriting. It was a letter from Jewel.

"Dear Erika. Merry Christmas! I sent a letter to everyone to wish them a happy Christmas, or noel en francias! How are you? I am trying to keep up with the news from London, but I'm afraid it's not going well. The newspapers mention nothing about London. I am well, we all have colds but other than that, all is well. The strangest realization came to me a few days ago. I was sitting with my friends the night before everyone went home for the holidays. We were talking about the future and our plans. Then I realized how rare this sort of conversation was at Hogwarts. Sure, we could talk about the next day, but years into the future? We couldn't because the next day one of us could be dead. It's so sad and so strange how little they know here, how different it is. I miss England, Erika, I really do. It may not sound like it, but it is true. I want to come back and help the cause. I haven't lost hope for England yet. I only wish there was something I could do. Well, I have gone far from my path of wishing you a happy Christmas, so I will stop now. Best wishes, Jewel."

"What'd she say?" Harry asked.

I shrugged, "She misses England and wishes she could help."

Sarah nodded, "Wish they would. Harry, don't forget we have to go look at crystal the 26th."

Becky sneezed and Mrs. J went off about how the two of us were going to be sick from rolling in the snow.

"We'll be fine, Mom, don't worry," Becky assured her.

Mrs. J wasn't convinced, so Sarah, Becky, and Mrs. J went home so Becky could rest.

"You'd be wise to do the same, Erika," Mrs. J said.

Becky and I exchanged glances.

They promised to come back first thing in the morning.

Harry, Ron, and I stayed up a few more minutes before going to bed.

"Morning!" Becky sung into my ear.

I snapped up, hitting her in the head in the process.

"Ouch!" she yelped, and stood up, holding her head where I'd hit her.

I rubbed my own head and said, "Sorry, Becky. I didn't mean to hit you, I really didn't."

She nodded, "I'm sure. Come on, everyone's waiting for you to get up. It's Christmas!"

She left, and I was amazed for a short moment how much my future sister-in-law could resemble a child on Christmas. But the moment passed and I went into the living room.

As she'd told me, everyone was waiting. There was a pile of gifts under the table, and Mrs. J was making breakfast. I could smell the bacon cooking.

"Erika is here," Ron said, "Let's get started."

Christmas was so fun, with everyone there. I loved it so much. Once we were done with gifts we sat and talked, played games, anything to pass the time. Sarah and Mrs. J made dinner, with Becky and I occasionally helping (neither of us was a very good cook).

That evening the news I had been dreading finally came. I looked over to the fireplace to see a head appear. A few years ago I might have screamed in surprise, but now I just turned away and called, "Harry!"

Harry, Sarah, and Ron came out of the hallway, while Becky and Mrs. J came from the kitchen.

"Hello, Professor Lupin. Happy Christmas," Harry said.

Lupin's face didn't change, it remained grim and set.

"We just got an owl from Dumbledore. We need you and the Weasleys to help us evacuate a family. They're supposed to be attacked tonight," Lupin said.

Harry nodded, "Sure. Where?"

Lupin gave directions, and disappeared. Sarah, Ron, and Harry started to grab their cloacks and wands.

"Ginny should be here soon," Harry told me, "We'll be back."

I nodded, and called as they walked into the hallway, "Take care!"

And they were gone. Becky and I settled ourselves on the couch, looking at the tree. Harry and Ron had put a bunch of fairy lights on it and it glowed beautifully.

"They had to do it on Christmas," Becky whispered.

"I don't think Voldemort and his croonies know Christmas, except that it's more of a tragedy if someone is killed on Christmas," I said, absent-mindedly.

Becky wouldn't look at me, she looked to the side of me, then said, "Sarah told me something really weird. She told me that Harry was the only one who could stop Voldemort… or whatever his name is."

I nodded, slowly.

"He is?" Becky asked, in disbelief.

Again, I nodded, then explained, "It's part of a prophecy, made just before he was born. Everything has been fufilled, except the last part. And that part means everything. It says that one of them has to die, and not just die, but be killed by the other. So Voldemort has to kill Harry, or Harry has to kill Voldemort. And that'll be the end, one side will win."

Becky was silent, then whispered, "Wow. That's a lot to deal with."

"It scares me sometimes. I don't want to lose Harry, he's all the family I have left. I don't want to be the last Potter, I will not be the last Potter. And Voldemort is so powerful… But Harry's has a lot of emotion, Voldemort only knows anger and hate. So it evens it out," I continued.

I looked up at the clock, and said, "Ginny should have been her by now. She's never this late."

"Do you think something's happened?" Becky asked.

I shrugged, "I don't know."

We found out a little while later. Sarah came back to the apartment, tired, and alone.

"What happened?" I asked, jumping off the sofa, "Where's Harry and Ron?"

Sarah sighed, and replied, "They're at St. Mungo's. Don't worry, they're fine. It's Ginny… she was hurt. She snuck out to help, and got hit with a few spells. Everyone's at St. Mungo's with her. Harry wants me to bring you over right away."

I nodded, and followed Sarah to the fireplace.

We Flooed to St. Mungo's, and then walked quickly through the near abandoned halls to the Fourth Floor, Spell Damage. The Order had a connection with one of the Healers in one of the Fourth Floor wards, which meant that whenever someone from the Order showed up, no questions were asked.

Outside of the door to the ward a group of witches and wizards were gathered. I couldn't see any of the Weasleys, but Harry was standing outside.

"Harry!" I called, and ran over to him.

The conversation stopped, and I asked, immediately, "Is she all right?"

Harry nodded, "She will be, soon enough. She can't see, though. She will be able to soon, but the spells have to wear off."

I sighed, and relaxed.

"Her family is in with her now," one of the others said, "They wanted you and Harry to go in when you got here."

"Thanks," I answered.

Harry opened the door to the ward and I followed him in. There was a group gathered by one of the beds, sadly not the only bed occupied by a member of the Order. I could hear them talking.

Mrs. Weasley was crying, weeping, and choking out words, "I'm so sorry, Ginny. This is all my fault. I… I tried to keep you my baby for too young. I keep forgetting you've grown up and you don't need to hold Mummy's hand any more. I just wanted to make sure you didn't get hurt… And now… look at you. From now on, I won't treat you like a baby. Ginny, can you hear me? From now on, you can go, just like everyone else."

Author's Note- So, I decided not to kill her. Not yet, anyway. Never fear, plenty of your favorite characters will die… which is sad. I am not a sadistic, crazy person… most of the time. So I hope you enjoyed it. It took me long enough to write it! Come back soon! Buh-bye!

July 16th is THE DAY!


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